In Sunday’s elections, in which 15.7 million voters were eligible to participate, Jara won with 26.85 percent of the vote, followed by Kast with 23.93 percent, both falling short of the 50 percent plus one required to win in the first round.

“Today a new election begins,” said the government-backed candidate, adding that the runoff will feature two contenders with very different visions for the country: progressivism versus the far right.

Jara, 51, is originally from El Cortijo, a poor neighborhood in the Conchali district, in the north of the capital.

She was president of the Student Federation of the University of Santiago, a union leader, and a member of the Communist Youth since the age of 14.

In 1999, she joined the Communist Party, which nominated her as its presidential candidate, although she later distanced herself from the party’s historical positions and even announced the possibility of “suspending,” “freezing,” or “resigning” her membership if elected.

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