In December, Chile had a pivotal election won by the leftist candidate, Gabriel Boric, against José Antonio Kast, the conservative candidate. As reported by Reuters, the election was Chile’s most divisive in decades: the candidates presented very different ideas for the future, and whereas Boric has been a life-long activist and leftist, Kast has been compared to Augusto Pinochet – former dictator of Chile. Boric won with about 56% of the votes, which shows that it was relatively, quite close. The election was essentially, and starkly, a competition between communism and fascism, and it is interesting to understand in the context of growing and deepening polarization of political values globally.
Speaking of his goals for the presidency and what a more secure system of social welfare would look like, Boric wrote, “[That means] having a real social security system that doesn’t leave people behind, ending the hateful gap between healthcare for the rich and healthcare for the poor, advancing without hesitation in freedoms and rights for women.” Boric’s hopes for the presidency also resonated particularly with young adults, which may be at least partially because he will be the youngest president yet to hold office in Chile; nonetheless, he seems to have been able to connect with many sections of the population. Boric indeed appears to – based on reporting on the election and voters’ remarks – connect with a majority of the population. Still, the election was very contentious and Chilean society remains very divided.
Boric’s victory is representative of the ongoing inequality and corruption that has plagued Chilean society and a majority of Chilean citizens. A series of months-long protests in 2019 sparked a conversation about redrafting the constitution (which will face a referendum next year) and tensions around economic inequalities. While many Chileans support aspects of free-market economic policies, which admittedly allowed for immense economic growth initially, the presence of capitalist practices has led to the top 1% of the population growing around 25% of the nation’s wealth, according to the United Nations. Boric plans to undo the neoliberal policies and system put in place by Pinochet and thereby to begin addressing this severe gap in wealth and opportunity.
Although the two competing candidates of this election are exemplary of the polarization of the political sphere, it is also important to note that this polarization is a reflection of deeply rooted societal pressures and issues, which are known globally – in other words, not specific to Chile. As the marginalized members in societies become more disenfranchised, the people who benefit from the imbalance in the distribution of wealth, power, etc., only benefit more. It is no surprise that people’s political alliances only grow stronger, leading to elections and other political events similar to this year’s election in Chile (and by that token, the 2017 and the 2021 United States elections). Fundamentally, societal divides have grown, but generally speaking, more people are on one ‘side’ of the divide – those who are marginalized and disenfranchised.
Given the grievances of many Chileans, it is reasonable to assume that Boric is the more legitimate candidate for the presidency. Now that he is elected, he will hopefully follow through with his campaign to address the majority’s concerns. In an article by the Washington Post, one 28-year-old voter said that, for the future he sees and wants for Chile, Boric’s plan is much better than Kast’s – and above all, a progressive leader is needed for that. Hopefully, Boric’s presidency can ultimately present to the international community a strong example of progressive leadership committed to ‘righting’ certain wrongs.
