DEVELOPING: Chile's Presidential Race Heads to Nail-Biting Runoff After Stunning Sunday Vote

Breaking News: Chile's Presidential Race Heads to Nail-Biting Runoff Chile is headed to a tense presidential runoff after a closely fought first-round vote Sunday. Jeannette Jara, a 51-year-old communist former labor minister, won 26.8% of valid ballots, while José Antonio Kast, a 59-year-old ultraconservative former lawmaker, captured almost 24% of the vote. The runoff will set up a stark left-right showdown between Jara and Kast, sharply polarizing the country between the political left and right. The two candidates will face off in a second-round vote, with the winner set to become Chile's next president. Jara's failure to pass the 50% threshold to secure victory in the first round was a surprise, given her position as the candidate of Chile's center-left governing coalition. Kast's strong showing, however, underscores the appeal of his law-and-order platform. The runoff is expected to be a closely contested and highly polarizing election, with significant implications for Chile's future. The country's voters will head to the polls again in the coming weeks to decide the next president. This is a developing story, and we will provide updates as more information becomes available.