Pinochet casts long shadow over Chile vote

SANTIAGO: He´s been dead for 11 years, but Augusto Pinochet still casts a long shadow over Sunday´s presidential election in conservative Chile, where the right is set to reclaim power. Despite his iron-fisted regime being responsible for some 3,200 dead or missing, 12 percent of Chileans still consider the military dictator one of the “best leaders” in the country´s history, according to a recent poll.
Center-right billionaire businessman Sebastian Pinera has a clear lead going into Sunday´s first round vote, but will probably have to rely on some support from the hard right to prevail in a run-off next month. The emergence during the campaign of ultraconservative MP Jose Antonio Kast, who has no qualms about professing his admiration for Pinochet, has forced Pinera to the right.
The businessman toughened up his rhetoric to the point that shouts of “Viva Pinochet” rang out during some of his rallies. Even though its political heft has declined over the years, “Pinochetismo” remains a reality in Chile, and is still able to wield influence in the country´s largest party, the Independent Democratic Union (UDI). It´s a weapon Pinera can´t easily afford to ignore. “Pinera is not a pinochetist, but he needs pinochetismo,” said Raul Elgueta, an analyst from the University of Santiago.
Chile´s conservatism has been jolted by four years of leftist President Michelle Bachelet´s social reforms, including the decriminalization of abortion and the introduction of same-sex marriage. In a largely dull election campaign, Kast broke a taboo with a speech lauding Pinochet´s rule, saying he was vehemently opposed to abortion and immigration, and called for a relaxing of gun laws to allow citizens to defend themselves.