The right advances in the election of mayors in Chile

Santiago. Preliminary figures from the municipal and gubernatorial elections held in Chile over the weekend show mixed results for both the center-left ruling party and the right-wing opposition, which appeared slightly advantageous in winning the mayoralties.

With 84 percent of the vote, the right-wing coalition Chile Vamos obtained 35.9 percent of the votes, the ruling party united in Contigo Chile Mejor added 31.9 percent, while the independent candidates 29.3 percent, which allowed it to win 101 percent. mayorships.

Regarding the dispute for the 16 regional governorships, only in five were there definitive results, in four of which the center-left triumphed. In the remaining 11 there will be a second round in a month, since none of the candidates obtained the 40 percent necessary to be elected in the first round.

Currently, the ruling party is in control of 15 of the 16, a result that will undoubtedly not be repeated.

In the race for the country’s 345 mayoralties, with 84 percent of the polls counted, the ruling party lost 40, going from 150 under its control to 111.

The center-left suffered significant defeats, for example, in the emblematic commune of Santiago, where communist mayor Irací Hassler (28.4 percent) categorically lost re-election to former police officer and former minister Mario Desbordes (51 percent).

The opposite of this took place in the municipality of Maipú, adjacent to Santiago, where the young Broad Front mayor Tomás Vodánovic, 34, managed to be re-elected with more than 70 percent of the votes, a result that, according to an analyst, is clearly projected as a presidential figure for 2025.

But he categorically rejects that possibility, prioritizing that “my commitment is to stay the next four years working for my neighbors, I am not going to show any disrespect,” he said last night.

As for the opposition, the available results indicate that its participation in municipal governments will increase from 87 to 120.

One of the big surprises of the night took place in the Santiago municipality of Las Condes, the wealthiest in the country, where the far-right Marcela Cubillos Segal suffered an unexpected defeat against a contender from the liberal right, Catalina San Martín (39.9 percent). cent), who defeated her against all odds by a narrow lead of 0.8 points.

Cubillos, a clear favorite until a month ago, was at the center of a scandal when it was revealed that with very few hours as a teacher and without any relevant academic work, even living abroad, he received a salary equivalent to about 20 thousand dollars a month. a university, a remuneration well above the average for academics and rectors. She, who seemed to project herself as a possible presidential candidate, paid the cost of the arrogance with which she defended receiving that amount.