"A sharp increase in murders, kidnappings and extortion over the past decade has awakened large security concerns in one of Latin America's safest nations, a far cry from the wave of left-wing optimism and hopes of drafting a new constitution that brought Boric to power. Boric has made some strides in fighting crime. Under his watch, the homicide rate has fallen 10 percent since 2022 to six per 100,000 people, slightly above that of the US."
"The starkly divided frontrunners are Jeannette Jara, the 51-year-old governing coalition candidate from the Communist Party, and Jose Antonio Kast, 59, of the Republican Party who promises drastic measures to fight rising gang violence and deport undocumented immigrants. Polls suggest that none of the eight candidates on the ballot will secure the majority of votes needed to avoid a run-off on December 14."
Chileans are voting to choose a new president and Congress with more than 15 million registered voters and mandatory voting in place. The governing leftist coalition faces a conservative challenger, with Jeannette Jara, 51, of the Communist Party and Jose Antonio Kast, 59, of the Republican Party as starkly divided frontrunners. Eight candidates are on the ballot and polls suggest none will secure a majority, making a run-off likely on December 14. The campaign is dominated by rising crime and immigration, prompting calls for tougher security measures and mass deportations. Under President Gabriel Boric the homicide rate fell 10% since 2022 to six per 100,000, but security concerns persist.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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