Chile poll shows 76% see deep societal split and President Kast approval falls to 36%

A Cadem poll released in July finds that 76% of Chileans perceive the country as very or fairly divided, with politics identified as the main driver of the fracture. The sharpest tensions are between left‑ and right‑wing supporters (84%) and between voters who backed José Antonio Kast or Jeannette Jara in the presidential runoff (76%).

More than half (56%) say a visible "cultural battle" plays out on TV, social media and everyday conversation, while major ideological gaps appear on issues such as police powers, the legacy of the dictatorship, feminism, abortion and inclusive language. President Kast’s approval rating has slipped to 36% with a 60% disapproval rate, down across all voter segments.

The survey also notes that 92% of right‑identified respondents favor giving the Carabineros more legal guarantees to fight crime, compared with 52% of those on the left. Conversely, 78% of left‑identified respondents consider human‑rights violations during the dictatorship still relevant, versus 25% of the right.