As Liberal and Leftist Influence Expands in Chile, Can Conservatives Still Prevail in the upcoming elections?
Flor Elena Robledo 
The upcoming municipal and regional elections in Chile are highly anticipated as they will determine the leaders at various levels of government. One of the key questions is whether voting will still be compulsory. Recent changes to electoral law include that it will take two days and there will be no prohibition on alcohol sales (no «Ley Seca»).
There is significant concern about whether the current left-wing government, aligned with leaders like Lula and Maduro, will retain power.
For the right-wing voters in Chile, there are growing concerns about open borders, which they believe contribute to rising crime, and the liberal left’s influence, which they feel undermines family values.
President Gabriel Boric, who campaigned on a platform similar to Obama’s, promising sweeping changes and advancing a highly liberal agenda, has expressed his desire for the groups supporting his coalition to run united in these elections. This goal was achieved at least in the mayoral races, where the center-left, the ruling left, and the Christian Democratic Party will run under the alliance «Contigo Chile Mejor.»
The traditional right, which also provides hope for conservatives, will continue to run under the Chile Vamos banner (comprising Renovación Nacional, Unión Demócrata Independiente with Evelyn Matthei, and Evópoli) in the mayoral and regional governor elections. However, they will split in the elections for councilors and regional councilors.
The right-wing will be represented by the Republican Party, led by former presidential candidate José Antonio Kast, and the Social Christian Party, a conservative group linked to evangelical churches, both of which have separate lists for different positions and appeal to voters who support and protect family values.
The political center, which includes some former members of the now-defunct center-left Concertación coalition, will form a list under the name Centro Democrático, consisting of Amarillos por Chile and Demócratas. Meanwhile, the populist Partido de la Gente (PDG), founded by former presidential candidate Franco Parisi, has chosen to go solo in this electoral process.
In addition to the major political parties, the municipal and regional elections will feature smaller formations, many of which do not have representation in Chile’s National Congress. One of the registered alliances is Izquierda Ecologista Popular, composed of the Partido Popular, Partido Igualdad, and Partido Humanista, left-wing groups that are not part of the ruling coalition. They are joined by the Ecologistas, Animalistas e Independientes list, led by the Partido Alianza Verde Popular, a party that identifies as animalist and environmentalist. Another registered block is Izquierda de Trabajadores e Independientes, headed by the Partido de Trabajadores Revolucionarios.
On June 9, some political parties held primary elections to select their candidates for early October. During this process, candidates were chosen for the positions of mayors and governors in municipalities and regions defined by the parties themselves. In the rest of the country, where primaries were not held, candidates were nominated through agreements between party leaderships. These candidates, along with those from parties that did not participate in the primaries, registered directly with Servel on June 29.
On June 29, political parties registered their lists and alliances for the elections, confirming their candidates. In early August, the list of accepted and rejected candidacies was announced. Both the ruling coalition and the opposition to President Gabriel Boric’s left-wing government will compete separately in the elections, in a highly fragmented scenario that includes other small formations and independents who gathered the necessary support required by Chile’s Electoral Service (Servel), the entity responsible for organizing electoral processes in the country.
One figure of particular concern is Emilia Schneider Videla, a radical communist, feminist activist, and political leader of the Frente Amplio party. However, for many who support and advocate for preserving family values, outside of Evelyn Matthei and José Antonio Kast, there seems to be no other group, party, or representative worth voting for.
Flor Elena Robledo es periodista y comunicadora con experiencia en «Sábado Gigante» y Univision, destacándose en comunicación pública y traducción simultánea. Ha enseñado periodismo, entrevistado a figuras públicas y trabajado en TUVU y MegaTv, alcanzando millones de vistas con sus historias. Posee un título en Periodismo de Radiodifusión de la Florida International University y estudios de posgrado en Periodismo en Español.
Flor Elena Robledo is a journalist and communicator with experience in «Sábado Gigante» and Univision, excelling in public communication and simultaneous translation. She has taught journalism, interviewed public figures, and worked at TUVU and MegaTv, reaching millions of viewers with her stories. She holds a degree in Broadcast Journalism from Florida International University and has pursued postgraduate studies in Journalism in Spanish.