Updated:
After the first round of the presidential election in Chile, the South American country is heading for an exchange of blows between extremes for the highest office in the state.
Santiago de Chile – The German-born right wing candidate José Antonio Kast got a good 28 percent of the votes, as the electoral office announced on Sunday evening (local time) after counting over 85 percent of the votes. Around 25 percent of the electorate voted for the young left-wing politician Gabriel Boric. This means that the two applicants from the extreme fringes of the political spectrum should move into the runoff election on December 19.
The former model country of South America is in a state of upheaval: Although Chile is one of the economically strongest countries in the region, there is great social inequality. Large parts of public services of general interest have been privatized, and many people feel left behind. Violent protests against the neoliberal economic system began two years ago and have flared up again and again since then. The demonstrators have already been able to enforce one of their most important demands: a convention is currently working on a new constitution. The current text dates from the time of the military dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet (1973-1990). (dpa)
#Presidential #election #Chile #runoff #left