Former student leader Boric leads the presidential poll in Chile

the Former student leader Gabriel Boric leads the race for presidential elections in Chile in November, according to a poll published a week after his surprise victory over a Communist candidate in a primary poll.

Boric, who is currently a member of the lower house, obtained 30% of the voting intentionsfollowed by former government minister Sebastián Sichel, with 25%, and current Senate President Yasna Provoste, with 12%, according to a Cadem opinion poll published on Monday. According to the poll, Boric would beat Sichel and Provoste in a possible second round.

The Chilean assets surged early last week after Boric beat Daniel Jadue of the Communist Party in the primaries, eliminating a competitor who scared the financial markets with his calls for sweeping economic reform. Still, some global banks are advising investors to remain cautious about Chile’s lingering political risk. They say the next head of state will move away from pro-market policies and adopt higher spending.

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After failing to register candidates for the July 18 poll, the parties that make up the Chilean coalition Constituent unit They agreed on Sunday evening to hold a face-to-face primary election for their candidates. The vote, which will take place on August 21, will confront Provoste with former government spokesman Paula Narváez and former justice minister Carlos Maldonado. The winner will advance to the first round on November 21, with a possible second round scheduled for December.

The parties that make up the Constituent Unity Pact have ruled Chile for most of the past 30 years.

According to the Cadem poll, Narváez got 3% of the support, while Maldonado got 1% of the preferences. José Antonio Kast, a former right-wing MP who will also compete in November, got 8%.

Cadem interviewed 700 people across the country from July 21 to 23. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.7 percentage points.

In addition to holding presidential elections, Chile will also draft a new constitution over the next 12 months. A new Magna Carta was a key demand from protesters during the social upheaval of 2019-2020.