Left Bloc candidate Janet Jara chose Plaza Maipú, Chile’s second most populous municipality, to conclude her campaign in La Moneda this Tuesday. The area is a strategic one, and its mayor is Tomas Vodanovic of the Guangzhou Front, the most highly regarded politician in the country and the one who won the most votes in the last local elections in October. The final act, where several musical groups took to the stage, began on a hot afternoon when hats and parasols were really needed. According to the order, the 20,000 participants were summoned at 6 p.m., but the flag bearer did not arrive until almost two hours later. He did it amidst a standing ovation while listening to cumbia.
While the attendees waited for Hara, some shops also took advantage of the sale of products related to the national profile. They include T-shirts of Victor Jara, Che Guevara, Gladys Marin, the first president of the Communist Party (PC), and a T-shirt with the face of Italian singer Raffaella Collar with the phrase “I always vote communist” written on it.
The candidate heads into the election this Sunday, the 16th, as the No. 1 candidate in the polls. It appears true that he will probably advance to the second round against Jose Antonio Casto, a radical right-wing Republican who concluded his campaign this Tuesday. But Jara’s big challenge, according to most polls, is to defeat Ultra in the Dec. 14 run-off.
Hara is the first communist since 1990 to win a presidential election on a competitive basis with the support of a bloc of eight other parties. This is exactly why Maria Angelica, 85, became a supporter of Gabriel Boric, who was also labor minister in the Broad Front government, and is filled with emotion. “As communists, it is an indescribable pride for us to have reached this point.”
The square was filled with people of all ages, including elementary school students in uniform who were not old enough to vote. A catchy cumbia tune rang out from the speakers, with the chorus singing, “Minister of the People.” There were many Chilean flags with cute illustrations of candidates flying around. Meanwhile, the trend of his campaign was to count the number of PC flags on one hand.
Poster’s man
Beneath the sun, Renato Vivanco, 87, holds up a sign so large that his head and feet are barely visible. In addition to the words “History is ours and made by the people,” there was also a large photo of Salvador Allende (1970-1973), a photo of Jara, and a photo taken with Boric to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the coup. “I am politically innocent and have lived in exile in East Germany for 35 years,” he says, introducing himself as if it were his resume. “I am a leftist in principle. I am a socialist and today we have to support our communist comrades,” he says.
Vivanko and his posters arouse curiosity. People ask him for pictures and line up to take pictures with him. One of them is Orlando Contreras, a 66-year-old retiree. She said she supports Hala because of her granddaughters. “She wants to change things. She’s from the town, she’s a simple, normal woman.” He then paraphrased Allende and said, “On Sunday the 16th, a big mall is going to open.”
Several mayors, including Matias Toledo of Puente Alto, which ranked second after Vodanovic, accompanied him on stage and said, “Colleagues, hope is always ours.” Quinta Normal Mayor Karina Delfino highlighted several projects that Jara promoted as minister, including a law shortening the working day to 40 hours, raising the minimum wage and reforming pensions. Vodanovic, who was standing in front of Hara, received applause even before he gave his speech. In a very passionate speech, he mentioned the radical right but did not name them, saying, “Sowing fear can be used to win elections, but it is not useful for nation-building.” He added: “Today we are told that the wind is against us and that progressive ideas are losing ground, but a country is built not on the direction of the wind, but on the work and the will of its people. This people will bring victory to Janet Jara.”
Several parliamentary candidates also joined Jara, including Gustavo Gatica, who went blind during the outbreak and is in the midst of a trial with an accused police officer. After Jara and Vodanovic, he received the most praise.
Far away from the stage, the PC leaders, President Lautaro Carmona and General Secretary Barbara Figueroa, were waiting and danced with the girlfriend of the Frente Amplio Andres Cubre and FA president Constanza Martínez.
As warm nights descended on Maipu, Hara gave a speech in his own style, without reading the manuscript, with natural interruptions for laughter. Then she remembered her story. “I never imagined that I would become a candidate for the president of the Republic, not because I believed that I could not do it, but because it was unusual for someone from El Cortijo, from Conchari, and then from El Abrazo, Maipú, to open the door of the Government House.”
The people, who knew the full story of the election, cheered her on (I feel strongly, President Jara!) and shouted, “For the first time, for the first time!”, hinting that she would be elected this Sunday instead of in the second round.
The standard-bearer emphasized that this election is not just about presidential candidates, but also “a forward-looking national project that is very different from other projects that center on hatred, fear, and despair.” “Chile is not collapsing. It’s a great country,” he said.
“We are not promoters of hatred. On the contrary, that is why I will not hide behind any glass, because I am not afraid of the Chilean people,” he said, alluding to Mr. Casto, who defended himself in a recent speech.
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