Chile defined this Sunday (21) the candidates who will participate in the second round of the presidential election. Leftist candidate Gabriel Boric and far-right candidate José Antonio Kast will decide who will succeed Sebástian Piñera on December 19th.
Piñera spoke this Sunday night: “I want to congratulate José Antonio Kast and Gabriel Boric for having triumphed in this first round. So always seek the path of peace and not violence. The path of responsibility and not populism”.
After 86.45% of the polls, Kast appears in the lead with 28.06% of valid votes, while Boric has 25.50%.
At 55, José Antonio Kast has shown a dizzying growth in recent weeks. Openly supporter of Augusto Pinochet – he claims that the dictator who ruled Chile between 1973 and 1990 would be his voter if he were alive – the lawyer and politician criticized the traditional right and took advantage of the current president’s falling popularity to rise in the polls.
Gabriel Boric is the youngest presidential candidate in Chilean history, aged 35, the former student leader has been growing in politics since 2011, when he protested against private education in the country.
He stood out during the 2019 protests, and participated in the political negotiation that led to the referendum for a new Chilean Constitution. Left candidate with more chances in this election, winning the primary elections in July, Boric declared: “If Chile was the cradle of neoliberalism, it will also be its tomb.”
*With information from Leonardo Lopes and João de Mari, from CNN
Reference: CNN Brasil
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