Thread by @LaloDagach

THREAD 🧵🪡 /1

WHY IS THE MODERATE COUNTRY OF #CHILE TORN BETWEEN ULTRA LEFT WING AND ULTRA RIGHT WING PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES?

LALO EXPLAINS.

In general, #Chile is not a country that votes to extremes. Prior to these elections Chileans elected center left Michelle Bachelet, and center right Sebastián Piñera. Though some might disagree, their politics are very moderate and their parties are in the center.

In October 2019 #Chile had what is known here as “El Estallido Social”, or the “Social Explosion.” Which was an extremely violent left wing upraising that basically paralyzed the country for months. Resulting in metro stations, supermarkets, and homes being completely burnt down.

Acting president Sebastián Piñera did relatively little to stop the protests and violence. What little he did to stop them was condemned by the left, and his failure to crack down on the violence infuriated the right.

Leading to a sharp decline in the economy.

As an alternative to crack downs, President Piñera proposed the writing of a new constitution, to replace the one that was written during Chile’s dictatorship.

However, this wouldn’t be written by the Congress or politicians, but by elected citizens.

#Chile’s communist party was opposed initially to the proposal of a new constitution. Not that they didn’t want one, but wanted one written under their terms, despite the communist party having a tiny amount of public supporters.

Nevertheless, the public in #Chile overwhelmingly voted for a new constitution and that it not be written by the congress.

*The communist party oddly enough declared this a personal victory.

Then came the election to chose the “constituyentes”, or those who would write the new constitution.

And many… ummmm, let’s say “colorful” characters were elected. And there’s been… issues. es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleccione…

The Constitutional Convention has been riddled with controversies.

Misuse of public funds. One of the constituyentes even was outed for having faked cancer to defraud people out of money and for votes. And most of these problems were occurring with left wing members.

It also didn’t help that the entire process of writing a new constitution was being entirely televised. Which lead to members constantly making grandiose speeches that lead nowhere, and little actual work being done.

Plus members were demanding higher salaries and more time.

During 2020-21 the economy continued to fall due to the pandemic, while violence and drug trafficking skyrocketed.

The economic hardships and social turmoil created dual feelings towards political changes in #Chile. While people wanted change, the county was getting worse.

Another odd phenomenon has been immigration. #Chile’s left parties have been overtly pro-immigration, resulting a sharp rise in anti-immigrate sentiments, leading to more support for the right.

Even ultra-left wing candidate Gabriel Boric, said he’ll crack down on immigration.

The phenomenon of immigration in #Chile is odd because the immigrates coming in the last 5 years have been overwhelmingly Venezuelan. And they are very, VERY anti-socialist / anti-left, as they are escaping Chavez-Maduro’s socialist revolution for capitalist Chile.

There might be left wing Venezuelan immigrates in #Chile, but I’ve never met one. And I talk to them constantly. Waiters, Uber drivers, etc.

This is an important fact as non-citizen immigrates can vote in Chile after 5 years of residency.

#Chile has a multi-party system, and the winners of the primaries were José Kast and Gabriel Boric.

Kast belongs the most right wing party and Boric belongs to the most left wing party of the candidates running.

*I’m not counting Artés cuz he’s a joke.

So who are they?

José Antonio Kast is an Ultra Conservative Christian, who is pro-life, anti-gay marriage and believes in traditional family values. He has promised to crack down on violence, trafficking and illegal immigration. He also favors capitalism and smaller government.

On the left, Gabriel Boric is Ultra Left wing candidate (his programs and beliefs are indistinguishable from the communist party, but he doesn’t call himself a communist). He is pro-choice, pro-gay marriage, and openly supported violent protests and opposes any crack downs.

A particularity in #Chile is that Boric’s liberal positions worked against him.

Far right Chileans are very religious and conservative. BUT, Chileans in rural areas, who are economically left wing, are also very religious. So, many leftists voted for Kast based on social issues.

The red areas, where Gabriel Boric won, is the metropolitan area where Santiago is. Kast won in more rural areas, where poorer people live.

Though these people might be left wing (or even socialist), economically, they prioritized their pro-life or anti-gay marriage beliefs.

The other issue, that lead to Kast getting ahead in the primaries elections, was security.

For years Boric took a pro-violent protest position and pro-looting. And due to the social fatigue of that violence, people voted for the Ultra Right candidate for a guarantee of security.

The importance of security for the public in #Chile was so abundantly clear, after Kast came out ahead in the primaries, Boric only days later, completely shifted gears and said security against violence would be a primary focus of his presidency.

MAINSTREAM MEDIA MANIPULATION

Something that bothers me greatly about the international news reporting #Chile’s elections, is that they describe Kast as “Far-Right”, which he is, 100%, but they NEVER describe Boric as “Far-Left”, which he is, 100%.

Boric is NOT a moderate. He is not in the center. And no, this not my opinion. This is fact.

Like I said, #Chile has a multi-party system and there were center left and center right candidates. Like Sichel, who is socially liberal but economically conservative.

So today is Election Day here in #Chile and we are waiting for the results. I’m not especially pro either candidate, as I am a liberal atheist, but economically conservative.

So, though Kast isn’t someone I share values with, I believe a communist economy would destroy Chile.

In primaries, I voted for the center right, who was socially liberal but economically conservative. I think the leftist will be awful for the country economically. But we risk conservative legislations with the right.

I think for now, the right wing candidate is less damaging.

https://twitter.com/davidthepariah/status/1472648439951466506

This is the kind of GARBAGE reporting you can expect to see from the news.

• Kast is a defender of Pinochet? Yes. But Boric is a defender only Hugo Chavez, Maduro and Fidel Castro.

• Boric will “empower women”? Boric has been accused of sexual harassment. (John left that out)

https://twitter.com/jwbartlett92/status/1472531307255136257

• Kast promised to crack down on illegal immigration into #Chile? Yes.

But Gabriel Boric immediately shifted to promising to also crack down on illegal immigration after the primaries. So they share that position. *Also left out by the author of the article.

I should highlight, though Kast has made comments defending Pinochet, and Boric has made comments defending Chavez/Maduro.

• Kast called out human rights abuses by Pinochet.

m.elmostrador.cl/elecciones-202…

• Boric called out human rights abuses in Venezuela.

gabrielboric.blogspot.com/2018/08/la-izq…

Ultra Left Communist candidate Gabriel Boric has won the Presidential Elections in #Chile.

https://twitter.com/adnradiochile/status/1472694532022181889

He’s gonna go back to hard left on every issue before the day’s over.

https://twitter.com/haunted_backlog/status/1472696663663800326

Quite the opposite. Gabriel Boric is likely to quickly abandon all moderation and will be influenced by communist party members, like Daniel Jadue, many of who he has already promised key positions too.

And because he’s much younger than these people he’ll be easily manipulated.

https://twitter.com/LozCrouch/status/1472922596136353792

My guess, now that Ultra-Leftist Gabriel Boric has won the presidency in #Chile, the Constitutional Convention (citizens writing the new constitution), will award the presidency more power and lock him in by eliminating term limits.

This is what was done in Venezuela for Chavez.

It’s very interesting that internationally calling someone a “Pinochet apologist” carries much more stigma than calling someone a “Chavez apologist.” If any stigma at all.

Considering Pinochet killed over 3,000 within 2 decades, and Chavez killed over 330,000 also in 2 decades.

#Chile’s New President Gabriel Boric:

“Where are you on the political spectrum? Between the Socialist Party and the Communist Party? Or further left than the Communist Party?”

Boric: “We don’t need to compete for who’s more left. But we are to the left of the Communist Party.”

Boric says the Communist Party are too close to Neoliberalism.

“You said the Communist Party could be a potential ally. Do you still believe that?”

Boric: “For now, no. They are too close with La Nueva Mayoría (a center-left coalition), and we believe they are too neoliberal.”