SANTIAGO, Chile, Nov 17,  (AP): A hard-right former lawmaker and admirer of US President Donald Trump held the upper hand as Chile headed to a polarizing presidential runoff against a member of Chile's Communist Party representing the incumbent government. José Antonio Kast, an ultraconservative lawyer appears to be in pole position after nearly 70% of votes went to right-wing candidates in Sunday's first round, as many Chileans worry about organized crime, illegal immigration and unemployment in one of Latin America’s safest and most prosperous nations.

Kast is a surprise front-runner who speaks fondly of aspects of the country's period of dictatorship and broke with the traditional conservative party to found his own Republican Party. He came in second with nearly 24% of the vote after campaigning on plans to crack down on crime, build a giant border wall and deport tens of thousands of undocumented migrants.

Jeannette Jara, a former labor minister in President Gabriel Boric’s left-wing government, eked out a narrower-than-expected lead with 27% of the vote. She to expand Chile's social safety net and tackle money laundering and drug trafficking. Neither contender received more than 50% of the overall vote count, sending the poll to a second round of voting on Dec 14.

The mood was ebullient at Kast's campaign headquarters early Monday, where young Chileans wrapped in national flags drank beer and rolled cigarettes as workers took down the stage where Kast had proclaimed a radical transformation in the country's security. "We needed a safe candidate, someone with a firm hand to bring economic growth, attract investment, create jobs, strengthen the police and give them support,” said Ignacio Rojas, 20.

"Chile isn't safe anymore, and he'll change that.” The results seemed set to extend a growing regional shift across Latin America, as popular discontent with the economy simmers and right-wing challengers take over from leftist politicians who shot to power in the wake of the pandemic on lofty promises of social change and more equitable distribution of wealth, but largely failed to deliver.