The two candidates facing off on Sunday (19) in Chile’s second round of presidential elections held their campaign closing events on Thursday (16) to lively and numerous audiences. All day long it was possible to see people carrying flags and wearing T-shirts of the two candidacies for Santiago.
In the final speeches, both made some nods to moderation —a strategy to try to win over voters from the center and the large portion of those who still say they are undecided—, but they did not spare provocations to their respective rivals.
The second round pits ultra-rightist José Antonio Kast, who won the first round with 28% of the vote, to left-wing deputy Gabriel Boric, who scored 25.6%. The latest poll that could be released on Sunday’s intentions, by the Cadem institute, showed Boric with 40% of the preference, against 35% of Kast and 25% more undecided.
The leftist organized his event earlier this Thursday night, at Almagro Park, trying to be more moderate — as he had done in the last debate in the campaign, three days earlier. If during the entire electoral race he began his actions saying “companions and compañeras”, this time he bet on a broader greeting: “Chileans and Chileans”.
In his speech, Boric placed emphasis mainly on two themes, Social Security and diversity. He returned to defending a pension and retirement system different from the current one, which has private administration. He wants public funds management, by a State entity.
He also said that he is attentive to requests made in the large protests that shook the country in 2019. “The demonstrations are alive, they are asking for answers and our candidacy is the one that can provide that,” he said.
The acts resulted, among other things, in the creation of the Constituent Assembly that is currently in operation and brought special wear to the center-right president Sebastián Piñera.
When talking about diversity and gender issues, Boric attacked Kast, claiming that the policies proposed by the ultra-rightist in relation to women are “discriminatory” and that the rival would condemn “raped women to being mothers against their will”. He also stated that, unlike his opponent, it is the year 2021, “where being against equal marriage is a step backwards”.
Kast, in turn, gathered supporters in Parque Araucano, in the Las Condes neighborhood, and also launched attacks on Boric. He said that the deputy was “not a bad person, but he is in bad company and has bad ideas”. He also reinforced the criticism he made in recent debates, that the leftist had changed his image a lot, in an electoral strategy, and that this “is a falsehood”.
He again reinforced his banners of greater investment in security and “economic stability” and stated that he would fight drug trafficking and illegal immigration.
She made a gesture towards diversity, saying that it would not end with the Ministry of Women — something that, in fact, was a demand by the ruling candidate, Sebastián Sichel, who defeated in the first round, to declare support in the decisive round — and praised women who became incorporated into their campaign, as the current Undersecretary of Health, Paula Daza.
Finally, he called his nine children to the stage to say that Chile was “a big family” and would thus be “a family country, not communist or Marxist”. Afterwards, he even pulled a chorus with his campaign motto, the expression “dare you”, being much applauded.
Amidst the campaign events, the Chilean capital also had a large demonstration in Baquedano Square (also called Dignidad), downtown, bringing together opponents of Augusto Pinochet’s dictatorship. That’s because the general’s widow, LucÃa Hiriart, died on this farm at the age of 99.
The fact was commented on by the candidates. Kast, who once defended the Pinochet dictatorship, tried to break away from the dictator. “I don’t want to make this a campaign theme, I didn’t know Ms. LucÃa Hiriart de Pinochet and I’m not close to the family,” he said. Boric went the opposite way. “LucÃa Hiriart dies with impunity despite the deep pain and division she caused in our country. My respects to the victims of the dictatorship of which she was a part,” he tweeted.
At the concentration in Baquedano square, posters defended the vote for the left-wing deputy and criticized the ultra-rightist who even said during the campaign that the dictatorship was not a dictatorship.
At midnight, candidates were banned from campaigning or speaking publicly. A common request, made by both, was for people to go out to vote on Sunday — Chile has a high record of electoral abstention.
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