By Gram Slattery SANTIAGO (Reuters) - For many Chileans, Plaza Baquedano, a broad rotary in central Santiago that for decades served as a center of so.
By Natalia A. Ramos Miranda SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Chile s presidential candidates had to host news conferences from home and cancel travel plans on Thursday as five out of seven candidates were forced to isolate for a week after left-wing hopeful Gabriel Boric tested positive for COVID-19. In addition to Boric, four candidates had all been in close contact with him recently and have since tested negative for the virus, they said on social media. But Chile s regulations mandate that any close contacts isolate for at least seven days regardless of test result. The presidential election, the first since widespread protests in 2019 rocked the Andean copper-producing country, will be held on Nov. 21 and will go to a second round if no candidate wins more than 50% of the votes. With three weeks before the first-round vote, Boric and far-right candidate Jose Antonio Kast are head-to-head and likely to both pass to a second round to be held in December. On Thursday, Kast was also forced to isol
By Natalia A. Ramos Miranda SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Chile s right-wing presidential candidate, José Antonio Kast, is pulling ahead in pre-election opinion polls just weeks before the country s November ballot, though is still seen losing a likely second-round run-off against a candidate from the left. The Pulso Ciudadano study, released on Sunday by the consulting firm Activa Research, showed the ultra-conservative candidate sometimes likened to Brazilian leader Jair Bolsonaro gaining 26.5% of the vote, pulling slightly ahead of center-left former student leader Gabriel Boric, at 25%. In third place is center-left former minister and Christian Democratic candidate Yasna Provoste, with 12.1%. The presidential election, the first since widespread protests in 2019 rocked the Andean copper-producing country, will be held on Nov. 21. If no candidate gets an absolute majority, there will be a head-to-head vote in December between the top two competitors. In a hypothetical second round between
By Natalia A. Ramos Miranda SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Chile s right-wing presidential candidate, José Antonio Kast, is pulling ahead in pre-election opinion polls just weeks before the country s November ballot, though is still seen losing a likely second-round run-off against a candidate from the left. The Pulso Ciudadano study, released on Sunday by the consulting firm Activa Research, showed the ultra-conservative candidate sometimes likened to Brazilian leader Jair Bolsonaro gaining 26.5% of the vote, pulling slightly ahead of center-left former student leader Gabriel Boric, at 25%. In third place is center-left former minister and Christian Democratic candidate Yasna Provoste, with 12.1%. The presidential election, the first since widespread protests in 2019 rocked the Andean copper-producing country, will be held on Nov. 21. If no candidate gets an absolute majority, there will be a head-to-head vote in December between the top two competitors. In a hypothetical second round between