the themes that dominate elections in Chile

Pinochet’s Constitution remains in force. In 2022 and 2023, Chileans rejected two new proposals to reform the Magna Carta in referenda. The first was supported by Boric, prevented by law from running for immediate re-election; the second, prepared by defenders of Pinochet’s legacy.

Immigration destination

Chile has become an important destination for immigrants, mainly from Venezuela. The immigrant population doubled in seven years and reached 8.8% of the total in 2024, in a country of 20 million inhabitants, according to the National Statistics Institute (INE). It has the second highest proportion of foreign residents in Latin America, after Costa Rica, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Venezuela is the main country of origin for immigrants in Chile (41.6%), followed by Peru (14.5%) and Colombia (12.3%). According to official estimates, around 337 thousand immigrants live in an irregular situation. The majority entered the country via the northern border with Bolivia and Peru, a region where Boric’s government sent the Army in early 2022. The issue is central to the electoral campaign, as the majority of Chileans associate the rise in crime with irregular immigration.

Power of copper and lithium

Chile is the world’s largest producer of copper, responsible for a quarter of global supply, and the second largest producer of lithium. Driven by mining, economic growth reached 2.6% in 2024, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which predicts similar expansion this year and a slight decline next year (2%).