WITH campaigning days up to 12 hours long and travelling hundreds of kilometres in the heat Lautaro Carmona, the left electoral coalition Apruebo Dignidad’s candidate for Atacama, has been concentrating all her energy on getting people to vote and “consolidate support for  left-wing candidates” — including presidential hopeful Gabriel Boric — for parliament and regional councils.

We need to focus on the fact that “a quality of life different from the current one is entirely possible, within the framework of a new government that addresses issues of the right to free health and education, the right to a new pension system, employment rights, the right to housing, job stability and a decent and fair salary, the rights of indigenous peoples, the right to a healthy coexistence without crime or drug trafficking, where culture, sport and diversity are promoted, where women’s rights are prioritised,” he told El Siglo.

Carmona said that “a certain degree of scepticism” has appeared in recent weeks, adding: “We must concentrate all our energies, all our arguments, all our persuasion skills, on explaining why — for the future of our families and our people -—it is important to go and vote. A large voter turnout is needed in order to advance the positions of transformation and change.”