Presidential election in Chile: a televised debate marked by animosity towards the favorites
Audio 01:29
The candidates for the presidential election in Chile, November 15, 2021. Gabriel Boric, left (1st from left), and José Antonio Kast (2nd from left), the far-right candidate, were the target of criticism.
AP - Esteban Felix
Text by: RFI Follow
2 min
Who will be the next president of Chile?
Fifteen million voters are called to the polls Sunday, November 21 for the first round of the presidential election, as well as for legislative and senatorial elections.
This Monday evening, November 15, was the last televised debate before the vote.
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From our correspondent in Santiago
,
Justine Fontaine
This election is crucial because it is the first presidential election since the historic protests against inequalities.
Not to mention that Chile is in the process of drafting a
new Constitution
.
► To read also
: Commemoration of the social uprising in Chile: demonstrations with the same demands
The evening was marked by a certain animosity towards the two favorites of the poll.
From the start of the debate, the candidate of the right-wing ruling coalition, Sebastián Sichel, was rather offensive, for example, against Gabriel Boric, a former student leader on the left, who is one of the favorites in the poll.
“
I believe that Gabriel Boric sinned when he said 'Force to Maduro', or that he justified the setting up of barricades by demonstrators.
We democrats have one thing in common, that of thinking that violence is never acceptable in a democracy.
"
Support of the far right for the dictatorship
The favorite of the left, accused therefore of having supported the Venezuelan regime in the past.
And on the other side of the political spectrum, the far-right candidate,
José Antonio Kast
, has been criticized for his support for General Pinochet's dictatorship in Chile.
But also because he opposes LGBT rights.
This is what the center-left candidate Yasna Provoste pointed out: "
I find it surprising to hear that he has never discriminated against anyone, while he is still opposed to marriage for all!"
"
The far-right candidate appears despite everything as one of the favorites of the first round, thanks to his speech on security and immigration.
But the outcome of the vote is particularly uncertain.
And social rights remain very important subjects of this electoral campaign.
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