Summary: A decade-long rise in violent crime in Chile has pushed security to the top of voters' concerns and revived nostalgia for Augusto Pinochet's 1973–1990 dictatorship. Incidents like the attack on Miguel Angel Bravo illustrate public fear, while far-right José Antonio Kast — who praises Pinochet and admires El Salvador's Nayib Bukele — leads on law-and-order promises. Younger Chileans on social media have shown growing sympathy for authoritarian solutions, and polls suggest left-wing Jeannette Jara may lead the first round but could lose a December runoff.
Crime Surge Fuels Nostalgia for Pinochet Ahead of Chile's Crucial Election
Summary: A decade-long rise in violent crime in Chile has pushed security to the top of voters' concerns and revived nostalgia for Augusto Pinochet's 1973–1990 dictatorship. Incidents like the attack on Miguel Angel Bravo illustrate public fear, while far-right José Antonio Kast — who praises Pinochet and admires El Salvador's Nayib Bukele — leads on law-and-order promises. Younger Chileans on social media have shown growing sympathy for authoritarian solutions, and polls suggest left-wing Jeannette Jara may lead the first round but could lose a December runoff.
07:15, 04.11.2025Politics
Crime Surge Fuels Nostalgia for Pinochet Ahead of Chile's Crucial Election
One Saturday morning in September, four men forced their way into the Santiago home of 61-year-old accountant Miguel Angel Bravo. Despite an alarm and a padlocked gate, the intruders burst into his bedroom, beat him with an iron bar, stole his wallet and phone, and fled in his car. Bravo still bears a scar on his forehead and says the attack has taken away his "peace of mind."
Security Becomes the Dominant Issue
Over the past decade Chile has seen a marked rise in armed robberies, kidnappings and murders — crimes that were far less common a decade ago. These trends have pushed public safety to the forefront of voters' concerns ahead of the presidential election on November 16, and are shifting political momentum toward candidates promising tougher law-and-order policies.
Politics, Migration and Public Fear
Many Chileans and local officials attribute part of the rise in violent crime to transnational criminal networks and an unprecedented migration wave, particularly from Venezuela, which critics say has strained policing and social services. All eight presidential hopefuls, from left-wing candidate Jeannette Jara to far-right frontrunner José Antonio Kast, have made crime a central theme of their campaigns. Kast also proposes mass deportations of undocumented migrants.
Growing Nostalgia for Authoritarian Rule
Amid rising insecurity, public nostalgia for the 1973–1990 dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet has resurged. José Antonio Kast, who defends Pinochet's legacy and has praised El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele for his hardline approach to gangs, is polling strongly and says Pinochet would have supported him. Social media accounts such as "Don_Pinochet1973" — with thousands of followers — amplify calls for a return to "firm" leadership, including among some Chilean youth who never lived through the dictatorship.
"I didn't live through that time, but we need someone who takes a firm hand like he did," said a 20-year-old engineering student interviewed by AFP.
Memory, Education and Historical Awareness
Sociologist Matías Rodríguez of the Academy of Christian Humanism University links Pinochet's appeal among younger people to gaps in historical education: the dictatorship is often presented in schools without an explicit moral condemnation of its human rights abuses. Pinochet died in 2006 without a criminal conviction, yet a September Cadem poll ranked him among Chile's most admired figures alongside former president Sebastián Piñera.
The Bukele Example and Democratic Risks
Kast has cited El Salvador's Nayib Bukele as a model; Bukele's security campaign has involved mass detentions of suspected gang members in large isolated facilities. Supporters say such measures restore order, while critics warn they can undermine civil liberties and democratic norms. Analysts say Chile's debate over security will be a defining theme in the expected December 14 runoff, when polls suggest left-wing candidate Jeannette Jara would likely lose to Kast or another right-wing contender.
What this means: The surge in violent crime has reshaped Chile's political landscape, elevating security and authoritarian nostalgia as decisive electoral issues. The outcome of the upcoming rounds of voting will indicate whether voters favor tough, punitive responses or alternatives that balance public safety with human rights and rule-of-law protections.