Chile faces presidential runoff between leftist Jara and far-right's Kast

"Partial results from Chile's presidential election indicate that leftist former labour minister Jeannette Jara and far-right politician Jose Antonio Kast are headed for a runoff vote in December. With 52.39 percent of ballots tallied on Sunday evening, Jara a 51-year-old communist candidate representing an eight-party coalition led with 26.58 percent, followed by Kast on 24.32 percent, according to electoral authority Servel. list of 4 itemsend of list The next-closest contender, ultra-right legislator Johannes Kaiser, conceded defeat."

"Campaigning was overshadowed by growing public anxiety over surging murders, kidnappings and extortion in what has long been one of Latin America's safest countries. Rising crime has been widely attributed to foreign criminal groups, coinciding with a doubling of Chile's migrant population since 2017. Migrants now make up 8.8 percent of the country's residents. Jara has promised to expand the police force, lift banking secrecy rules to combat organised crime, and address cost-of-living pressures."

Jeannette Jara led the first round with 26.58 percent and Jose Antonio Kast placed second with 24.32 percent, with 52.39 percent of ballots tallied. Ultra-right legislator Johannes Kaiser conceded defeat. Campaigning centered on surging murders, kidnappings and extortion amid a sharp rise in crime linked to foreign criminal groups and a doubling of the migrant population since 2017; migrants now comprise 8.8 percent of residents. Jara proposed expanding the police, lifting banking secrecy to fight organised crime, and easing cost-of-living pressures. Kast pledged border barriers with Bolivia. Polls indicate Kast would likely beat Jara in a head-to-head runoff, and the right-wing combined vote exceeds the left's.

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