Chile held a presidential candidates' debate. The event took place at the studios of Chilean National Television in Santiago and was organized by the National Television Association (Anatel). Eight candidates participated in the debate, including the official candidate, Jeannette Jara; the liberal economist, Evelyn Matthei; the libertarian deputy, Johannes Kaiser; and the lawyer and former presidential candidate, José Antonio Kast. Also present were politician and sports leader Harold Mayne-Nicholls; economist Franco Parisi; leftist professor Eduardo Artés; and founder of the Group of Puebla, Marco Enríquez-Ominami. The presidential debate focused on security issues. Matthei asserted that if action is not taken against the criminal gang 'Tren de Aragua,' 'our country is going to go to the crest.' 'The Tren de Aragua is truly a brutal risk for our country, and terrorism in the south as well,' she added. Jara stated that a broad social and political alliance 'can provide better governance for the challenges the country has: more investment, more growth, and better wages,' as well as public safety and 'so that every family can make it to the end of the month and live in a safer neighborhood.' Meanwhile, Parisi promised 'bullet or jail' for criminals and announced he would 'send the military to the streets' to combat crime. The 'bullet or jail' slogan is gaining traction. Kaiser promised he would use all means at his disposal to 'restore the rule of law throughout the national territory (…) we are going to propose increasing penalties for all crimes.' The libertarian has risen exponentially in the polls over the last month thanks to his tough announcements on issues such as migration, crime, and reducing the state. Conversely, Jara emphasized in the debate that it is necessary to 'follow the thread of money from criminals,' stressing the need to lift banking secrecy to track illegal funds, one of her campaign promises. 'That's how brutal it is,' expressed the economist who is third in the polls. Matthei, in turn, reproached Kast for using a bulletproof barrier at one of his campaign closing events.
