Chile Left Picks Communist Jeannette Jara for November Presidential Race

Jeannette Jara, a member of Chile's Communist Party and former labor minister, won the left-wing presidential primaries with approximately 60% of the vote, defeating Carolina Toha of the Democratic Socialism party and other candidates. This marks the first time since Chile's return to democracy that the Communist Party will present the unified left's candidate in a presidential election. Jara's victory comes amid declining support for President Gabriel Boric's government, which has struggled to implement promised reforms and address rising concerns over crime and immigration. She will face a divided right-wing field in the November 16 election, including Evelyn Matthei of the Chile Vamos coalition, José Antonio Kast of the Republican Party, and Johannes Kaiser of the National Libertarian Party. The right-wing candidates have gained momentum with tough-on-crime and conservative platforms, setting the stage for a competitive race. If no candidate wins a majority, a runoff election will be held in December.