One of the great triumphs of Chile Vamos, of the traditional right, has been in the emblematic commune of Santiago, governed until now by the Communist Party. 51% of voters have chosen Mario Desbordes, former Minister of Defense of the second Government of Sebastián Piñera (2018-2022)of the National Renewal party (RN), mayor of the municipality after an intense campaign. The former Carabineros officer, with a strong defense of security in his speech, managed to snatch the position from the current communist mayor Irací Hasslerwho was up for re-election, and only achieved 28% of the preferences. Around 10:30 p.m., Desbordes went to the Plaza de Armas, in the center of the capital, to celebrate with the neighbors in a festive atmosphere. “I have seen in all the neighborhoods of the commune the need to recover this Santiago that was always the pride of the entire country and that unfortunately today is very deteriorated,” he maintained, accompanied by several opposition heavyweights.

Santiago, known as the mother of all battles, for traditionally being a predictor of the political sector that reaches La Moneda, is the third commune in the country with the largest number of voters (378,363). This year there was a singularity in the elections, since immigrants reached 32% of the electoral roll in the municipality. For 28 years, a councilor has not achieved re-election in the capital commune and this time was no exception.

Since 8:00 p.m., when the first trends were known, in the Desbordes command, at the foot of the Santa Lucía hill, in Sariagio there was already a feeling that it would be a night to celebrate. On the seventh floor of the building in the center of Santiago, candidates for councilors were gathered by Chile Vamos and the campaign team of the former Minister of Defense. The results were closely followed on television, while they shared Coca-Cola, bread with ham and cheese, and assorted cookies. Mario Desbordes, in a white shirt, walked around the quiet place, smiling: “We still have to wait,” he said.

At 8:45 p.m., Desbordes was already declared the winner. “As of December 6, I am the mayor of Santiago. She [Irací Hassler] “She is not winning at any table, in any location, therefore, I do not see where this could be reversed (…) I believe that there is a negative management of the mayor that has not been reversed in the last six or seven months” , he stated on the national channel TVN. The fifty supporters and politicians who were awaiting the results with the candidate burst into applause when they heard the elected councilor. To seal the triumph, Desbordes opened a brut-rosé champagne with his wife, Carolina Pereira, and part of his inner circle. Those present, euphoric, shouted “Beating! Beating!”.

A figure from the traditional right who did not want to be left out of the celebration was the outgoing mayor of Providencia and the main card in her sector for the 2025 presidential elections. Evelyn Matthei. Not only did he join the command, but also, around 10:30 p.m., he moved to the Plaza de Armas with the elected mayor and other authorities of Chile Vamos, among them, the president of the Independent Democratic Union (UDI), Guillermo Ramírez , and deputy Diego Schalper (RN). “I want to thank the citizens of Santiago, who have given me a resounding victory. (…) We are going to govern this commune by example because we are capable of governing for everyone and with everyone, without making distinctions,” said Mario Desbordes. Then, Matthei added: “Today common sense, common sense and certainty triumphed. The results we have obtained in these elections are a clear sign of hope,” while those present, with Chilean flags in their hands, chanted “President! President!”, in reference to her candidacy for La Moneda next year.

The former mayor of Santiago, Pablo Zalaquett (2008-2012), was one of the first figures on the right to arrive at Santa Lucía 330 and congratulate Desbordes. The commercial engineer and UDI activist told EL PAÍS that recovering the capital commune “is a very important symbol and is a great predictor of the next presidential elections (…) This showed that people were not happy with the mayor and wants to give a person like Mario Desbordes the opportunity to respond to her greatest concern: ‘people want to live safely’. And, if anyone knows about security, it is Mario Desbordes,” he assured.

Irací Hassler: “Today the citizens have expressed themselves and I am deeply respectful”

A very different panorama from that of the Desborde command was seen less than a block away, on 270 Santa Lucía Street. Since 7:00 p.m., silence reigned in the room where the team of the current mayor, Irací Hassler, was waiting for the results. At the entrance of the building, several of the members who worked for the communist campaign were reviewing the vote counting from their cell phones with a serious face and were awaiting the arrival of Hassler, who followed the results from his home. accompanied by her mother.

Half an hour after Desbordes declared himself the winner due to the clear trend, the mayor arrived at her command and gave a brief press statement assuming her defeat: “Today the citizens have expressed themselves and I am deeply respectful of that (… ) We knew that the Santiago commune and its re-election are always difficult and challenging. In that sense, I am very calm and happy with the pride it has been to be mayor of Santiago,” she said surrounded by her campaign team waving green flags.

Asked if she had contacted the new mayor of the municipality, Hassler stated that she called him twice, without success, and that she also wrote to him to congratulate him. “I hope that we can soon talk so that I can give him the corresponding congratulations and also point out that all my collaboration is always available for the communal government of Santiago.” “I hope that Santiago can continue to advance in policies that have been very relevant for our community, that all the houses that have been taken over by crime and drug trafficking can continue to be recovered, that the Santiago Te Cuida neighborhood care system continues to move forward.” , she maintained visibly calm.