THE presidential candidate urged Chileans to “build the broadest possible political and social unity. With those who think like us, and with those who, sharing the same principles, have a different way of thinking.”

In her speech at the event marking the 113th anniversary of the Communist Party of Chile, the leader of the centre-left said: “I will go out and meet with all of Chile, soak up its wisdom and with it contribute to the advancement of popular causes and the rights of all,” emphasising, “I want you to be reassured: we have prepared ourselves and I will know how to govern.”

She said that the Communist Party, with the support of the Christian left and Accion Humanista (Humanist Action), were able to reconnect with the people by communicating the ideas that we believe will lead Chile to a united government of the centre-left.

“This first victory belongs to many of us throughout the country. But it is only a small step in the face of the challenge ahead of us. This beautiful triumph imposes on us a tremendous responsibility and an obligation, which is to confront the ultra-right next November.

“I want to tell you that the celebration ends today,” Jara said emphatically. “From now on, with the same joy, but with the hard work that has always characterised us, we begin the task. Not only to go and meet with those who voted for us or with those who participated in this primary, but mainly with those who we have not convinced, with those who think differently, with those who have anger and rage in their hearts, with those who politics has left aside. They are the ones we are going to listen to.

Jara demanded a pledge from campaigners of “listening to those who think differently. To try to understand at what point the majority popular causes — the improvement of social rights, of people’s everyday lives — went astray as policy promises to the extent that today far-right is fielding three presidential candidates.”

She pointed to the danger of policy reversals by the right — should they be elected — which denies women’s rights, the rights of dissidents, the rights of indigenous peoples, the rights of workers.

Jara warned that after 50 years since the defeat of the right, his political descendants are trying to reinstate in Chile a past that limits freedoms, that violates rights, and that once again reactivates the idea of the ‘internal enemy’ in order to advance its cause of sweeping away social conquests that have taken so long to achieve.

“Authoritarian drifts are not new to us,” she said. “Nor are they new to the history of humanity. And not only did they come to power through blood and fire, as happened in Chile in 1973.

“Moreover, they have done so by appropriating people’s fear, and the discourses of anger and hatred, the very tools of a weakened democracy, as happened in the first half of the last century. And the result has always been the same: the triumph of hatred, with its burden of death and destruction.

“That is why I challenge myself — and I challenge you — to get out of our comfort zone. We must stop talking to each other only among comrades, among family and friends. The task we have is too important for our country. And we must build the broadest possible political and social unity. With those who think like us, and with those who, sharing the same principles, have a different way of thinking.

Jara asked those present and all others of similar aspirations to accompany her in this immense task. Stressing that she never thought she would be given such a responsibility: “Sometimes I think that these things do not happen to people like me... I don’t come from the elite, but from a Chile that gets up early to work.”

Her life story is that of millions of Chileans, for whom power seems unattainable.

“Let us not forget that the victory achieved a week ago not only gives us the opportunity to meet with those who think very differently from us, but also puts us in a situation in which we are going to lead — together with other political forces — a project for our country.

“And from this wonderful act, with the clarity that I stand on the shoulders of giant men and women who have built our history, who have travelled through Chile with the certainty that each day, each new dawn, is always an opportunity to move forward and generate better living conditions for those around us and those who are yet to come.

“I take on this task because I know where I come from, and because together with you, we know where we are going,” Jara said.

“We will know how to carry out this task with the parties of the Chilean centre-left, with a programmatic construction where we will all complement each other and build unity. Long live Chile! Long live our homeland!”

This is an abridged version of an article that first appeared in El Siglo, the newspaper of the Communist Party of Chile.