Chile Presidential Candidate Evelyn Matthei Unveils Campaign Blueprint
(Bloomberg) -- Chilean center-right presidential candidate Evelyn Matthei pledged to crack down on crime and illegal immigration, while doubling economic growth, as she unveiled campaign priorities ahead of the November election.
Trump Administration Plans to Eliminate Dozens of Housing Offices
NJ College to Merge With State School After Financial Stress
Republican Mayor Braces for Tariffs: 'We Didn't Budget for This'
How Upzoning in Cambridge Broke the YIMBY Mold
NYC's Finances Are Sinking With Gauge Falling to 11-Year Low
Speaking before hundreds of people in a packed theater Thursday night, Matthei said that, if elected president, she will use satellites, helicopters and cameras to monitor Chile's borders, expel thousands of foreigners who committed crimes and build five new jails.
The former government minister, mayor and senator is trying to capture the zeitgeist of the moment as Chile braces for a renewed influx of foreigners, after President Donald Trump clamped down on immigration into the US. There are at least 320,000 undocumented immigrants in Chile, a country of about 20 million that has seen a surge in murders in recent years associated with foreign organized-crime groups such as Tren de Aragua.
'Illegal immigration is serious,' Matthei said. 'In the prison of Arica, 60% of inmates are foreigners. So, respecting the institutional frameworks, we will take measures that ensure the control of our borders.'
In an ambitious election program, Matthei also promised to double the pace of economic growth by cutting down on red tape and encouraging construction. At the same time, her administration would reduce waiting lists for medical procedures, increase access to daycare and strengthen public eduction.
'We won't cut social programs that are well-evaluated,' Matthei said. 'But, we will be very demanding and tough when it comes to superfluous or poorly-executed spending. We need a state with more muscle and less fat.'
Leading Polls
The remarks give both investors and voters greater insight into the vision of a front-runner in this year's presidential election. Matthei has led in the polls, backed by Chileans who are fed up with problems including organized crime and drug-trafficking. Still, her campaign has been tested by the lack of unity among conservative contenders, with hard-right candidates Johannes Kaiser and Jose Antonio Kast forging ahead with their own campaigns for head of state.
At the event, Matthei introduced some of her top advisors. Speakers included Cecilia Cifuentes, a professor at Universidad de Los Andes who detailed plans to spur investments, as well as campaign director Juan Luis Ossa.
Their remarks often circled back to the idea that there would be no room for improvisation in public policies and spending. To that point, Matthei vowed to reduce government expenditures by 1% of gross domestic product.
Her collaborators include many people who worked under former center-right President Sebastian Pinera, such as Paula Daza, who helped guide Chile through the pandemic as health ministry undersecretary; Ignacio Briones, who was finance minister and Alejandro Weber, who was finance ministry undersecretary.
The Left
Matthei's campaign announcements capped a busy week for Chilean politics. On Tuesday, Carolina Toha stepped down from her post as interior minister and said she will compete for the presidency for the center-left.
The next day, the influential ex-President Michelle Bachelet ruled out a third run for the nation's top job. Previously, Bachelet beat Matthei in the 2013 election to secure her second term as head of state.
A Pulso Ciudadano survey published on Sunday showed Matthei leading the race for head of state with support from 24.3% of voters, followed by Bachelet with 15.9%. Hard-right contenders Kast and Kaiser garnered 10.6% and 9.7%, respectively. Toha polled just 1.9%.
Critics point out that Matthei's support in polls has remained relatively steady, sparking fears her campaign may be stagnating. She has also come under fire in recent weeks after the center-right parties that back her negotiated a pension reform with current President Gabriel Boric's leftist government.
The first-round vote will be on Nov. 16 and a run-off, if needed, would take place on Dec. 14. Local laws forbid consecutive terms for any head of state, meaning that Boric will not be able to seek reelection.
Snack Makers Are Removing Fake Colors From Processed Foods
An All-American Finance Empire Drew Billions—and a Regulator's Attention
The Mysterious Billionaire Behind the World's Most Popular Vapes
Rich People Are Firing a Cash Cannon at the US Economy—But at What Cost?
Greenland Voters Weigh Their Election's Most Important Issue: Trump
©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNBC
23 minutes ago
- CNBC
Elon Musk's favorability among Republicans dropped 16 points since March, Quinnipiac says
Elon Musk's official role in the Trump administration recently came to an end. Many Republicans won't be sad to see less of him, according to the results of Quinnipiac University's latest public opinion survey. While a majority of Republicans still hold a favorable view of Musk, the number fell to 62% in the poll out Wednesday, down from 78% in March, Quinnipiac said. Overall, the Quinnipiac poll found that 30% of self-identified voters surveyed in the U.S. hold a favorable opinion of Musk, according to polling from June 5 to June 9. Republican and Democratic voters remain deeply divided in their views of the world's richest man, who contributed nearly $300 million to propel President Donald Trump back to the White House. Only 3% of Democrats surveyed said they held a favorable of view of the Tesla CEO, who was once seen as an environmental leader appealing to liberal values. Musk didn't respond to a request for comment. Musk and Trump had a very public falling out last week that started with Musk's disapproval of the president's spending bill and escalated into an all-out war of words that played out on social media. Musk said on Wednesday that he regretted some of the posts he made about Trump last week, adding that "they went too far." Even with a slide in his favorability, Musk is still popular among Republicans after his time running the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an effort to dramatically slash the size of the federal government. Among the Republican respondents to the early June poll, 80% rated Musk and DOGE's work as either excellent or good, while 13% said it was either not so good or poor. In the March poll, 82% of Republicans surveyed said they thought Musk and DOGE were helping the country. Read the full survey results here.
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Gold Advances on Middle East Tensions and Trump's Tariff Pledge
(Bloomberg) -- Gold gained for a second day on increased tensions in the Middle East, with its haven status also supported by President Donald Trump's comments that he will inform trading partners on tariff rates within two weeks. Shuttered NY College Has Alumni Fighting Over Its Future Trump's Military Parade Has Washington Bracing for Tanks and Weaponry NYC Renters Brace for Price Hikes After Broker-Fee Ban NY Long Island Rail Service Resumes After Grand Central Fire NYC Mayoral Candidates All Agree on Building More Housing. But Where? Bullion rose as much as 0.6% to around $3,373 an ounce, extending a 1% gain from the earlier session when it was also boosted by a declining dollar. Buying interest increased after the US ordered some embassy staff to depart Baghdad and allowed military families to leave the Middle East, after Iran threatened to attack US bases if talks over its nuclear program fell through. Separately, Trump said he intended to send letters to trading partners in the next one to two weeks setting unilateral tariff rates, ahead of a July 9 deadline to reimpose higher duties on dozens of economies. The president also said a trade framework with China has been completed, with levies between the two largest economies to be maintained at their current levels. Uncertainties over global trade tensions and heightened geopolitical risks have rattled markets this year, boosting gold's allure as a store of value in turbulent times and powering a year-to-date advance of 28%. The precious metal, which reached an all-time high in April, has also been supported by increased central-bank buying. Spot gold was up 0.3% to $3,364.43 as of 7:59 a.m. Singapore time. The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index was steady after falling 0.4% on Wednesday. Silver, platinum and palladium all gained. New Grads Join Worst Entry-Level Job Market in Years The Spying Scandal Rocking the World of HR Software American Mid: Hampton Inn's Good-Enough Formula for World Domination The SEC Pinned Its Hack on a Few Hapless Day Traders. The Full Story Is Far More Troubling Cavs Owner Dan Gilbert Wants to Donate His Billions—and Walk Again ©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
Yahoo
32 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Democrats react to Trump's push for Texas redistricting
AUSTIN (Nexstar) — After reports of President Donald Trump convening a meeting Monday with members of the Texas congressional delegation, Texas Democrats say it shows the party is worried about potential losses in 2026. A report in the New York Times detailed a White House meeting in which the president pushed Texas congressmen to pursue a mid-decade redistricting effort. Republicans who spoke to both the Times and the Texas Tribune did not seem keen on the idea, which would require Gov. Greg Abbott to call a special session of the legislature. None of the 25 Republicans who represent Texas in the U.S. House responded to requests for comment, but a source close to the situation confirmed to KXAN that a meeting at the White House will take place Thursday. Changing the congressional map to advantage the GOP would likely require splitting up districts which currently lean heavily toward one party to create more competitive seats, a move that could backfire if Democrats have a good year in 2026. However, changes to the congressional districts in large metro areas like Houston or Dallas could net Republicans some seats without throwing any of their own into jeopardy. And even without redistricting, Republicans have clear pickup opportunities in Texas' 28th and 34th congressional districts — two south Texas districts which swung heavily to Trump in 2024. The current Texas congressional map is already overwhelmingly Republican, with 25 Republicans to 12 Democrats, though one heavily-Democratic seat is vacant. That leaves Republicans with nearly 66% of seats in a state in which Trump received 56% of the vote. Democrats say that the current map is already unfair, and a mid-decade redraw would be a sign of desperation for Republicans ahead of the 2026 midterms. State Rep. Gene Wu, D-Houston, said that Republicans' policies have been unpopular and that the GOP is trying to minimize losses in next year's House races. 'Donald Trump is desperate to cling on to the power that he's had, and he knows just how upset people are about what the Republicans have done in just a few months that they've been in office,' Wu said. 'People are pissed, and they know what's coming.' Wu cited policies passed out of the legislature in Texas, including a ban on all hemp-derived THC products as well as the school voucher program, championed by Abbott, as ways lawmakers have ignored voters. He attributed this to the safe districts which exist under the current maps. The congressional districts drawn in Texas currently do not favor competition — just two House races were decided by fewer than 14 points in the 2024 elections. The current maps — including for the state legislature — are undergoing litigation in El Paso over allegations that the maps were drawn to disadvantage Black and Latino voters. The Supreme Court has shown opposition to racial gerrymandering in recent years, striking down maps in Alabama and Louisiana for disadvantaging Black voters in those states. Wu described the current map as a 'racial gerrymander' and said that if Republicans want to draw an even more favorable map, they will likely succeed in doing so. This would not be the first time Republicans have attempted mid-decade redistricting in Texas. Back in 2003, as Texas was quickly changing from Democratic to Republican, the legislature redrew the maps to heavily advantage the GOP. Democrats lost five seats in the 2004 elections as a result. Democrats then walked out to try and prevent Republicans from meeting quorum and being able to vote on the maps. When asked what should be done about it in the event Republicans try it again, Wu did not give a clear answer, but accused Republicans of playing politics. 'Anytime you hear them talk about redistricting, especially if it's in the middle of the cycle, all this is about political games and trying to destroy our democracy,' Wu said. Congressman Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, also did not give a clear strategy, but said he has faith in the Austin-area Democrats. 'I hope they will do everything they can to protect the interest of our neighbors in Central Texas and not let some radical gerrymandering occur just because President Trump is desperate to be protected,' Doggett said. Any attempt by Republicans to redraw the maps would need to happen soon, with the filing deadline for the 2026 primary elections coming up at the end of the year. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
