Presidential election in Chile

Extremists face off as Chile elects president

When Chile goes to the polls today, the result could be that the country gets its most right-wing president since the days of dictator Augusto Pinochet, writes AP. According to several opinion polls, ultraconservative José Antonio Kast is best placed to win.

Kast, who has promised mass deportations of migrants, among other things, is facing another extremist, communist Jannette Jara, in an election that could play a decisive role in the country's future. The two extreme options have made it difficult for many voters to identify with either candidate.

- Both are too extreme for me. I can't trust someone who claims to be a communist to be moderate. And I can't trust someone who exaggerates the amount of crime in this country and blames immigrants to be fair and respectful, says voter Juan Carlos Pileo, who plans to vote blank. 

Indigenous People Fear Rightward Shift: “Much Worse”

The rightward shift that appears to be in store in Chile if ultra-conservative José Antonio Kast, who is expected to win Sunday’s presidential election, worries the country’s indigenous people, writes AP.

“The situation will be much worse with a far-right government,” says Karen Rivas Catalán, a political scientist from the Mapuche ethnic group that makes up 12 percent of Chile’s population.

The relationship between the government and the indigenous people has long been tense. But unlike previous election campaigns, the question of how the situation can be improved has barely been discussed at all this time.

Instead, Kast has spoken of the Mapuche group as violent terrorists that his government will crack down on. During previous presidential candidacies, he has also spoken of tearing up reforms that give the indigenous people the right to their ancestral lands.

Favorite Kast promises tough action against crime

Ultraconservative José Antonio Kast, who according to several polls looks set to win the presidential election in Chile, is far to the right of most Chileans, writes AFP.

During the election campaign, he has pushed a program based on tough action against crime and immigration, something that seems to be going down well in the country where many feel that security has deteriorated.

Homemaker Ursula Villalobos intends to vote for Kast. She says she can accept radical reforms if they make the country safer.

“The important thing is that people can leave their homes without fear,” she says.

Whether Kast can actually push through his most radical reforms if he is elected is unclear, however, writes AP. His party lacks a majority in parliament and he will therefore have to negotiate with more moderate parties.