First modification:
Although both candidates decided to talk about their most popular and best-received proposals for the population, same-sex marriage recently approved in Chile and sexual diversity were some of the issues that raised the temperature of the debate.
This Monday, December 13, was the last presidential debate between the presidential candidates Gabriel Boric and José Antonio Kast before the second round that will take place in Chile next Sunday.
Aware that neither of them reached 30% of the vote in the first round on November 21, the far-right lawyer José Antonio Kast and the left-wing senator Gabriel Boric tried to show their more moderate face and began, from now on, to to make invitations between his speeches to the electorate of the center of the country.
In the debate televised by local media, the issues of governance, health, culture, security, drug trafficking, taxes, pensions and the management of the health emergency due to the Covid-19 pandemic were discussed.
However, the debate did not leave a clear winner that would completely define who is the most suitable candidate to govern the country
The far-right Kast, who was positioned with 27.8% of the votes, had answers that always defended the homeland, family, order and security; He insisted that the transition is the only wealth model the country needs and defended the neoliberalism perpetrated during the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet (1973-1990).
“We were a model for the world and we have to recover that (…) I do not want to be a president who raises his fist, I want to be a president who dialogues and welcomes,” he said.
For October 18: “If we were in the government we would not have reached that critical situation of xq, at least what I can say, that I know the reality of Chile sufficiently, I know the social urgencies and the government was late to respond to the citizenship”. pic.twitter.com/utBok1blFF
– José Antonio Kast Rist 🇨🇱 (@joseantoniokast) December 13, 2021
On the other hand, the leftist Boric exposed the need to increase the state role so that, through the increase in taxes, it is possible to have free health and education services.
During his speech, he also had to measure his words to ward off the fears that some Chileans have for their undisputed alliance with the Communist Party and their judgment on the business sector.
“We want to move towards a welfare state. The title they give him does not worry me. If he is a social democrat, in good time,” said the former student leader, who was second with 25.8% of the votes and now leads the majority of the surveys.
The best Chile we will do in unity, dialogue and stability. Divisions do not allow progress in social justice, that is why we invite all who want to be a positive part to join. Nobody is left over and we continue!#DebateAnatel pic.twitter.com/2NlH3MR3WV
– Gabriel Boric Font (@gabrielboric) December 14, 2021
A scenario of uncertainty?
Experts from the political sphere point out that the elections in Chile are the most uncertain in the last 30 years and that what is expected on Sunday is a “vote-by-vote decision.” They hope that abstention will not be as high as on previous occasions and that people who have been undecided will be able to make their final choice at the polls.
“None of the candidates wanted to risk too much and they limited themselves to repeating their most attractive proposals, avoiding the most controversial ones,” said Jaime Abedrapo, director of the School of Government at San Sebastián University, who also added that “many of his phrases were exactly identical to those of the previous debate “.
Chilean history dictates since 1999 that the candidate who gets the most votes in the first round is the one who reaches La Moneda, but this time the experts do not fully defend this idea, since the candidates had a minimal difference in November.
“Boric was better and strengthened the leadership he had shown in the previous debate, while Kast dedicated himself to criticizing, attacking and ridiculing him,” said Claudia Heiss, head of the Politics career at the University of Chile.
With the aim of convincing the greatest number of Chileans, in the final part of the debate both candidates for La Moneda, the seat of Government, presented the final arguments in 1 minute to persuade the audience.
With EFE and local media
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