(Bloomberg) — Chilean hard-right presidential contender Johannes Kaiser is now tied with Evelyn Matthei, who is widely considered the frontrunner, according to a new poll that marks a shock development in this year’s contest.
Matthei was backed by 17% of respondents while Kaiser garnered 16.9% of support, according to LatAm Pulse, a survey conducted by AtlasIntel for Bloomberg News and published Friday. The poll, which was conducted before former head of state Michelle Bachelet closed the door to another presidential run on March 5, placed the center-left leader in third with 14.5%.
Kaiser is a self-described libertarian and lower house deputy who is capturing Chile’s attention due to his unexpected strength in polls. Long viewed as a fringe candidate, he has called for reducing taxes and red tape, and his tough-on-crime stance includes bringing back the death penalty. Kaiser’s rise comes as voters cite public security, crime and drug trafficking as top problems currently gripping one of Latin America’s richest economies.
“Kaiser represents a genuine right-wing candidate who is capable of even defending Pinochet,” Mauricio Morales, a political science professor at Universidad de Talca, said in reference to the bloody dictatorshoip led by Augusto Pinochet between 1973 and 1990. “For a right-wing voter, Kaiser represents truth, renewal and hope.”
This year, Kaiser slammed traditional conservative parties aligned with Matthei after they negotiated a pension reform with President Gabriel Boric’s left-wing government. He is piquing voters’ interest as appeal fades in another hard-right contender, Jose Antonio Kast, who lost to Boric in the 2021 runoff.
On Thursday, the Chilean government electoral body Servel officially recognized Kaiser’s new political party, called the National Libertarian Party.
The survey also had some good news for Carolina Toha, who stepped down as interior minister on March 4 and said she will run for president for the center-left. Forty-one percent of respondents view her favorably, well above Matthei, Kaiser and Kast with 32%, 32% and 29%, respectively.
Still, Toha — a political heavyweight whose previous roles include lower house deputy and mayor — was backed for president by only 8% of poll respondents. She continues to be perceived as a second choice, as left-wing voters prefer Bachelet while centrists opt for Matthei, Morales said.
This week, Bachelet said she will “enthusiastically support” whoever the center-left selects to represent the sector in this year’s election. Good politics require new generations to step up, and others should now seek the nation’s top job, said Bachelet, who was head of state between 2006 and 2010 and again between 2014 and 2018.
“It will not be so easy for Toha to absorb Bachelet’s support, at least in an initial phase,” Morales said.
The first-round vote will be on Nov. 16 and a run-off, if needed, would take place on Dec. 14. Local laws forbid consecutive terms for any head of state, meaning that Boric will not be able to seek reelection.
AtlasIntel surveyed 2,181 people in Chile between Feb. 24-27. The poll has a confidence level of 95% and a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.
I_Hate_Sea_Food on
Boss, i’m tired
urettferdigklage on
>Kaiser
Script writers are getting a bit too on the nose, no?
WhoIsTomodachi on
> Franco Parisi
Are you for real? This is just insult to injury at this point.
WhoIsTomodachi on
For those who need more details:
> Evelyn Matthei
Campaigned for Pinochet to remain as head of state for 8 more years in 1988. Such a big simp of the dictator that she protested in front of the Spanish embassy when he got arrested in 1998.
> Johannes Kaiser
Let’s just say *Matthei* looks like a moderate centrist when compared to him.
> Franco Parisi
Has participated in several elections. Last time, he campaigned with his con artist friend, Gino Lorenzini, and couldn’t come to the presidential debates because he wouldn’t enter the country because of child support debt. Has several accusations of sexual harassment against him.
> Michelle Bachelet
Not running. Tired of this shit. Can’t blame her.
iguessineedanaltnow on
Genuinely how do you fix South America?
john_doe_smith1 on
After succs come libertarians
What will be next for LatAm? MAGA communists?
financeguy1729 on
Boric failures should make social democrats rethink their entire ideology
He is everything they wanted and his administration sucks.
Which is bad because he’s the only leftist I nurture some sympathy in the continent.
8 Comments
(Bloomberg) — Chilean hard-right presidential contender Johannes Kaiser is now tied with Evelyn Matthei, who is widely considered the frontrunner, according to a new poll that marks a shock development in this year’s contest.
Matthei was backed by 17% of respondents while Kaiser garnered 16.9% of support, according to LatAm Pulse, a survey conducted by AtlasIntel for Bloomberg News and published Friday. The poll, which was conducted before former head of state Michelle Bachelet closed the door to another presidential run on March 5, placed the center-left leader in third with 14.5%.
Kaiser is a self-described libertarian and lower house deputy who is capturing Chile’s attention due to his unexpected strength in polls. Long viewed as a fringe candidate, he has called for reducing taxes and red tape, and his tough-on-crime stance includes bringing back the death penalty. Kaiser’s rise comes as voters cite public security, crime and drug trafficking as top problems currently gripping one of Latin America’s richest economies.
“Kaiser represents a genuine right-wing candidate who is capable of even defending Pinochet,” Mauricio Morales, a political science professor at Universidad de Talca, said in reference to the bloody dictatorshoip led by Augusto Pinochet between 1973 and 1990. “For a right-wing voter, Kaiser represents truth, renewal and hope.”
This year, Kaiser slammed traditional conservative parties aligned with Matthei after they negotiated a pension reform with President Gabriel Boric’s left-wing government. He is piquing voters’ interest as appeal fades in another hard-right contender, Jose Antonio Kast, who lost to Boric in the 2021 runoff.
On Thursday, the Chilean government electoral body Servel officially recognized Kaiser’s new political party, called the National Libertarian Party.
The survey also had some good news for Carolina Toha, who stepped down as interior minister on March 4 and said she will run for president for the center-left. Forty-one percent of respondents view her favorably, well above Matthei, Kaiser and Kast with 32%, 32% and 29%, respectively.
Still, Toha — a political heavyweight whose previous roles include lower house deputy and mayor — was backed for president by only 8% of poll respondents. She continues to be perceived as a second choice, as left-wing voters prefer Bachelet while centrists opt for Matthei, Morales said.
This week, Bachelet said she will “enthusiastically support” whoever the center-left selects to represent the sector in this year’s election. Good politics require new generations to step up, and others should now seek the nation’s top job, said Bachelet, who was head of state between 2006 and 2010 and again between 2014 and 2018.
“It will not be so easy for Toha to absorb Bachelet’s support, at least in an initial phase,” Morales said.
The first-round vote will be on Nov. 16 and a run-off, if needed, would take place on Dec. 14. Local laws forbid consecutive terms for any head of state, meaning that Boric will not be able to seek reelection.
AtlasIntel surveyed 2,181 people in Chile between Feb. 24-27. The poll has a confidence level of 95% and a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.
Boss, i’m tired
>Kaiser
Script writers are getting a bit too on the nose, no?
> Franco Parisi
Are you for real? This is just insult to injury at this point.
For those who need more details:
> Evelyn Matthei
Campaigned for Pinochet to remain as head of state for 8 more years in 1988. Such a big simp of the dictator that she protested in front of the Spanish embassy when he got arrested in 1998.
> Johannes Kaiser
Let’s just say *Matthei* looks like a moderate centrist when compared to him.
> Franco Parisi
Has participated in several elections. Last time, he campaigned with his con artist friend, Gino Lorenzini, and couldn’t come to the presidential debates because he wouldn’t enter the country because of child support debt. Has several accusations of sexual harassment against him.
> Michelle Bachelet
Not running. Tired of this shit. Can’t blame her.
Genuinely how do you fix South America?
After succs come libertarians
What will be next for LatAm? MAGA communists?
Boric failures should make social democrats rethink their entire ideology
He is everything they wanted and his administration sucks.
Which is bad because he’s the only leftist I nurture some sympathy in the continent.