Conservative Kast leads presidential election in Chile, but there will be a second round

(With information from Reuters, AP and EFE) The ultra-conservative José Antonio Kast headed the presidential elections in Chile on Sunday, followed by the leftist Gabriel Boric, according to the first figures published by the electoral authority.

With almost 20% of the polls scrutinized, Kast added 29.31% of the votes, followed by Boric with 23.47% of the votes.

Since none of them reached half plus one of the votes, they would go to a second round on December 19.

The far-right – who recently said he was not an “extreme” candidate – promises to restore public order, reduce the State by laying off 20,000 employees and lower taxes by up to US $ 8.8 billion, including a reduction from 19% to 17%. % the value added tax, the one that collects the most; from 27% to 17% the taxes on companies; zero tax for small businesses and tax breaks for those who earn between US $ 400 and US $ 800 per month.

For his part, Boric, who represents Approve Dignity, an alliance between the leftist Frente Amplio and the Communist Party, proposes a tax reform to collect 8 points of GDP, with more taxes on the super rich, on monthly incomes higher than the US $ 5,400 dollars, “green taxes” and raising taxes on large copper mining, among others, as well as eliminating the Pension Fund Administrators (AFP), which are criticized across the board because they grant low pensions.