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Chile heads to Presidential election amid security fears and Far-Right surge
Chileans will vote on Sunday in a high-stakes presidential election dominated by rising fears over organized crime and a powerful surge from the far right, which could return to power for the first time since the end of Augusto Pinochet’s dictatorship in 1990.
Voting is compulsory, and authorities expect high turnout among the 15.6 million registered voters, who will also elect a new Chamber of Deputies and half of the Senate.
Far-right momentum shakes the race
Center-left candidate Jeannette Jara, a 51-year-old communist and former labor minister, currently leads the polls. However, projections suggest she would likely lose in a second-round runoff to a right-wing or far-right challenger due to vote consolidation.
Her main rival, José Antonio Kast, 59, a staunch conservative and three-time presidential candidate, has built his campaign around cracking down on irregular migration. Chile hosts 337,000 undocumented foreigners, mostly Venezuelans, fueling public anxiety amid the rise of transnational criminal groups such as Tren de Aragua.
Kast promises mass deportations, a border wall, increased police firepower and military deployment in high-risk areas.
Another far-right contender, Johannes Kaiser, 49, from the National Libertarian Party, has climbed to third place. Often dubbed Chile’s version of Argentine president Javier Milei, Kaiser promotes the most hardline rhetoric against irregular migration, including deportations and the transfer of convicted migrants to the megaprisón built by Salvadoran president Nayib Bukele.
Crime eclipses social change agenda
Although Chile remains one of Latin America’s safest nations, the homicide rate has risen from 2.5 to 6 per 100,000 inhabitants over the past decade. Kidnappings rose to 868 cases last year, a 76% increase compared to 2021.
“Security is collapsing. We’ve never seen anything like this,” says Jacqueline Ruz, a 56-year-old Santiago resident, echoing widespread fears.
This surge in violence has overshadowed the reformist agenda that brought left-wing president Gabriel Boric to power in 2022, including his failed attempt to replace the Pinochet-era Constitution.
Migration and economy shape the debate
Migration has doubled in seven years, now reaching 8.8% of the population, with many Chileans blaming irregular migration for the spike in crime.
Even Jara has adopted a tougher tone on security, while promising to ease the cost-of-living crisis and guarantee “economic security” for households.
A decisive election for South America’s left
With the left recently losing power in Argentina and Bolivia, and facing key elections in Colombia and Brazil in 2026, Chile’s vote is seen as a crucial continental test.
High participation is expected on Sunday as Chile braces for a polarized and unpredictable election.