Leftist vows 'pragmatism' with Trump

Chilean presidential hopeful Jeannette Jara, a communist, told AFP on Thursday that she would pursue "pragmatism and mutual respect" in her ties with US President Donald Trump, despite their deep ideological differences.

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Ms Jara is leading polls ahead of tomorrow’s first round of voting but faces an uphill battle against the far-right if, as expected, the election goes to a runoff on Dec 14.

She has attempted to downplay her communist roots on the campaign trail, to avoid alienating voters in one of Latin America’s most open economies.

Ms Jara seemed to suggest that the “longstanding” bond between the countries might temper any clashes with Mr Trump, who has used sanctions to punish critical left-wing administrations in Colombia and Brazil.

"It seems clear to me that, beyond speeches or personal stances, relations between our two countries must be based on pragmatism and mutual respect," she told AFP in a written interview.