Chile was a regional role model. Now voters want change

FILE PHOTO: Chilean Presidential candidate Gabriel Boric from left-wing 'Apruebo Dignidad' (I Approve Dignity) coalition takes part in a live televised debate, in Santiago, Chile, November 15, 2021. Esteban Felix /Pool via REUTERS/File Photo/File Photo

SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Chile, stretching along the copper-rich Andean mountains down South America's Pacific coast, has something of a reputation among its neighbors: steady and almost staid in a region embroiled in regular political upheaval and economic crises.

That identity is now at stake as the country heads for a polarized election on Sunday with candidates on the far-right and hard-left leading in the polls, driven by voters who have been demanding change since widespread protests two years ago and could now force Chile's sharpest political shift in decades.