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The Other Election: Chile Jan. 17

While we are all excited about Scott Brown and his ever increasing chances to doom the donkeyheads on tuesday , Chile votes on sunday. this has turned into a cliffhanger. Conservative candidate Sebastian Piñera leads by a very small porcententage(1.9 to 2.5%) in the polls which is well within the margin of error. The chances of center-left ex president Eduardo Frei were boosted by kowtowing to the communists, help from the current socialist president Michelle Bachelet and above all a half-hearted endorsement by independent leftist Miguel Enriquez-Ominami who was eliminated in the first round while Piñera received warm support from Peruvian literary giant Mario Vargas llosa who enjoys huge popularity in Chile.We will be on top of this when the polls close on sunday with the first results from election central Diego Portales.

COMMENTS

  • aesthete

    Chile and Argentina have definitely fallen low from where they were at the turn of last century. I hope that Chile, at least, can regain some of the stature that it lost to Frei, Allende, and Pinochet.

  • madsjim

    Thought the president has followed center left since Pinochet, the economic ministers are ardent followers of the Chicago school of economic thought.

    Bachelet is super popular right now and it would come as no surprise if Frei was re-elected but luckily Chile is relatively safe from ‘Caudillo’ type leaders such as Chavez.

    I think they are quickly getting that stature back as you mention Aesthete. The dark days of Pinochet are gone but his legacy of open markets has remained and made Chile the strongest country in South America.

    It should be an exciting election. Pinera is well liked by most but some distrust him for his wealth(a la Romney), but there is a sense of wariness in regards to Frei.

  • aesthete

    Certainly, it’s recovered better than Argentina post-Peron. It’s still not at its former, 1900s highs, but it’s getting there.