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Former Chilean president Sebastian Piñera continues to lead national polling with 22% support in the upcoming presidential elections, although his support declined two percentage points compared to the last poll taken on December 9. His main opponent is Senator Alejandro Guillier, who registered 18% support, a 4% increase.
The question posed to the respondents was: Could you tell me who you would vote for if the next presidential election were this weekend?
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Trailing Pinera and Guillier are former president Ricardo Lagos who rose from 4% to 5%, and Manuel Jose Ossandón, who remained at 4%. José Miguel Insulza, meanwhile, held steady at 2% of likely voters.
Respondents were also asked another question: Who do you think will be the next president of Chile?
Piñera also led in this poll, receiving 38%, which was a ten point decline from the last poll, in which he received 48%. Senator Guillier rose from 15 to 20%, while 7% believe Lagos will be the next president. Long-shot candidates Ossandón and Insulza remained at the back of the pack with 2% and 1%, respectively.
Sebastian Piñera was president of Chile from 2010 to 2014. He holds a doctorate in economics from Harvard, and founded a financial services company in 1976, Bancard, which mainly focuses on the credit card market. Fulfilling a campaign promise, Piñera sold many of his assets upon entering public life, including his share (26%) in LAN Airlines, for US $1.5 billion, and his TV channel, Chilevision to Time Warner for US $150 million.
Following his presidential mandate, he has dedicated himself to managing his charitable associations, among them, Fundación Futuro, which oversees educational and cultural projects in Chile. He has been a staunch critic of his successor, Michelle Bachelet.
Piñera has still not formally declared that he is seeking re-election, although last week he held a meeting with deputies of the main right-wing parties at the offices of the Avanza Chile coalition.
“I met with a very good-natured ex-president, very well disposed, but also concerned about the future of Chile,” said Congressman Patricio Melero (UDI).
Sources: Forbes, La Tercera, La Tercera
