"But with voters anxious about a rise in gang-driven crime that they blame on a recent surge of illegal immigration from crisis-stricken Venezuela, the campaign has steered the starkly opposed frontrunners toward the shared theme of public insecurity. Polls opened at 8am and close at 6pm, with results expected throughout the night. In a feat of political gymnastics, the communist candidate has promoted fiscal restraint while the Catholic father of"
"nine has avoided talk of traditional family values. Both say a top priority is to fight foreign gangs, such as Venezuela's Tren de Aragua, whose recent push into Chile has fuelled kidnappings, extortion and sex trafficking and shattered the country's self-perception as far safer and more stable than the rest of the region. They're talking about things that all voters care about, they're vying for the center, said Rodolfo Disi,"
Chileans began voting in a presidential and parliamentary election that is likely to favour the hard right amid public concern over organised crime and immigration. No candidate appears poised to win an outright majority, making a runoff likely on 14 December. Front-runners include Jeannette Jara, a former labour minister from the left, and Jose Antonio Kast, an ultraconservative former lawmaker. Both candidates have emphasized public insecurity and fighting foreign gangs, including Venezuela's Tren de Aragua, as central campaign priorities. Other notable candidates include libertarian Johannes Kaiser and center-right veteran Evelyn Matthei.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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