Tim Vandenack covers immigration, multicultural issues and Northern Utah for KSL. He worked several years for the Standard-Examiner in Ogden and has lived and reported in Mexico, Chile and along the U.S.-Mexico border.
SALT LAKE CITY — Chileans head to the polls Sunday to pick a new president, and a contingent from the country now living in Utah will be among those casting ballots.Chileans in the United States may be far from the South American country, but that doesn't mean they've stopped caring about what happens there, said Angela Rojas, from Chile but now living in Provo.
Chileans in Utah "still have family in Chile and see the conditions of the Chilean people and want things to get better," said Rojas, who will be among the voters.For some Chileans in Utah, immigration to the country is a big concern, particularly from Venezuela and Colombia. Crime, too, is a big issue.The first round of presidential voting on Nov. 16 narrowed the list of Chilean presidential hopefuls from eight to just two, Jeannette Jara Roman, a leftist candidate representing the Communist Party, and José Antonio Kast, a conservative candidate representing the Republican Party. Jara was the top vote-getter on Nov. 16, pulling nearly 26.9% of the vote compared to the 23.9% that Kast garnered. But Kast has been leading polls in the lead-up to the final round, and observers expect him to win, according to Reuters."Chileans aren't looking at whether you're Republican or not. I think they're going to vote for a different candidate. I think they're going to vote for Kast because he brings something different," said Miguel Echeverria, a Chilean now living in Orem who also plans to vote on Sunday. Demonstrations and chaos have been regular things in recent years, and Chileans are now looking for "a candidate who brings hope and well-being to the country." Chileans in Utah will be among those casting ballots in Chile's presidential election on Sunday. Chileans also voted in the first round of voting on Nov. 16, at the Sheraton Hotel in Salt Lake City, pictured here. Chile is currently led by leftist President Gabriel Boric.Voting also took place in Utah in the Nov. 16 balloting, and it will be held on Sunday at the same place as before, the Sheraton Hotel in Salt Lake City. The polling place will operate from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Salt Lake City is one of 10 U.S. cities where expatriate Chileans will be able to vote and among many more foreign locales around the world.Read more: Voces de Utah Looking for more news from Utah's Latino community? Visit our Voces de Utah section for more stories, events and features. While Jara narrowly edged
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