Gabriel Boric Wins In Chile; The Pinochet Era Is Finally Over

Common Dreams reported last month:

The two candidates could hardly be more different. Kast, a 55-year-old former congressman and supporter of deceased military dictator Augusto Pinochet—who forcibly imposed neoliberal reforms after deposing democratically elected socialist President Salvador Allende in a bloody U.S.-backed coup on September 11, 1973—has drawn comparisons to other right-wing authoritarians, including Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and former U.S. President Donald Trump.

Throughout his reactionary campaign, Kast, a Catholic opponent of abortion and marriage equality, has vowed to crack down on crime and migration, calling for the creation of a vast ditch to deter would-be immigrants.

Congressman Boric, on the other hand, rose to prominence as a key leader, alongside fellow lawmakers Camila Vallejo and Giorgio Jackson, of the 2011 student movement for free, quality public higher education.

The 35-year-old progressive has advocated for recovery from the coronavirus crisis that curbs inequality and environmental degradation, with a focus on expanding and improving the Chilean welfare state—underdeveloped and highly privatized since the Pinochet-era interventions of the Chicago Boys, a group of market fundamentalist economists trained by Milton Friedman and others.

…David Adler, general coordinator of Progressive International, which sent delegates to Chile to observe the election, warned that Kast’s supporters—taking a page out of “the new authoritarian playbook” deployed by Trump and Bolsonaro—have preemptively attacked Chile’s electoral service in an effort “to sow distrust in democratic institutions and pave the way for false claims of fraud” if Boric wins next month.

Voters around the country complained Sunday that there was a serious shortage of public transportation to take them to their polling stations.

Videos circulating on social media showed long lines at bus stops – in brutal heat – as well as parking lots full of parked buses.

Telesur reported:

Using social networks to make themselves heard on Sunday morning, Chileans denounced that businessmen are prompting a shortage of transport services in Santiago City to sabotage an election in which the leftist presidential candidate Gabriel Boric is the favorite to defeat the far-right candidate Jose Antonio Kast.

The absence of transportation occurs on a day with temperatures above 96.8°F and mainly affects low-income people who are walking long distances to get to their polling stations. People blame President Sebastian Piñera’s administration for being an accomplice in this attempt to prevent citizens from voting en masse against the neoliberal candidate Kast.

“The government chose the worst path: it boycotts public transport services so that voters from poor neighborhoods do not reach the polling stations,” citizen Pedro Calama tweeted, commenting that the maneuver will only manage to widen the favorable vote to Boric.

Huge congratulations to Gabriel Boric elected as socialist President of Chile!
A victory for hope and change.
El pueblo unido jamas sera vencido!

— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) December 19, 2021

I was having a walk this evening long before I thought results would come in. People poured out into Plaza Nunoa, ground zero of Gabriel Boric supporters, in a matter of minutes. By 7pm the Plaza was packed. Old, young, holding flags and banners. Cars honking. Festive. pic.twitter.com/0JUhyZ35lr

— Somini Sengupta🥭 (@SominiSengupta) December 19, 2021

Don’t lose sight of the country-defining presidential election today in Chile between the Pinochet-nostalgic José Antonio Kast & left organizer Gabriel Boric.

— Taniel (@Taniel) December 19, 2021

This is not a drill 🚨 https://t.co/oa43JS4xnd

— David Adler (@davidrkadler) December 19, 2021

ALERT 🚨: The bus system continues to fail across Chile on the day of its presidential elections.

Let’s be clear: this failure amounts to voter suppression. The @ProgIntl calls on Chilean authorities to guarantee the ability for all Chileans to access their right to vote. pic.twitter.com/gE2dskSR0M

— Progressive International (@ProgIntl) December 19, 2021

🔴🔴🔴 ALERT: Mass voter suppression on the way in #Chile. Voters throughout Santiago, Valparaiso and other cities are reporting a severe lack of public transport and denounce sabotage to reduce voter participation. This favours the candidate of the far-right.
Evidence below 👇 pic.twitter.com/pCZ2ZkaQMH

— Denis Rogatyuk (@DenisRogatyuk) December 19, 2021