Far-Right Leader Kast Wins Chilean Presidency

By Staff, Agencies

Jose Antonio Kast, an ultra-conservative former congressman, has been elected as Chile’s next president after achieving a decisive win in Sunday’s runoff election.

With more than 99% of polling stations counted, Kast won 58.16% of the vote, defeating leftist candidate Jeannette Jara, a former labor minister under outgoing President Gabriel Boric, who garnered 41.84%, according to official results.

Kast’s victory marked a significant rightward turn in Chilean politics and followed years of mounting public concern over security, crime, and migration, despite Chile remaining among the safest countries in Latin America.

The president-elect, a staunch social conservative and admirer of Pinochet, campaigned on restoring order and expelling undocumented migrants. Kast, son of a former Nazi party member, opposes abortion—even in rape cases—and same-sex marriage.

Addressing supporters after a lengthy wait on election night, Kast declared, "Here, no individual won, no party won – Chile won, and hope won. The hope of living without fear, that fear that torments families," he explained.

Over the past decade, Chile’s migrant population has doubled in a decade, mainly due to 700,000 Venezuelans. Kast blamed migration for rising insecurity, warning 330,000 undocumented migrants to leave before March 11 or face expulsion.

In his victory speech, Kast vowed his government would show “great firmness” in confronting crime and disorder. “When we tell an irregular migrant that they are breaking the law and must leave our country if they ever want the chance to return, we mean it,” he stated.

Kast’s platform includes Trump-inspired proposals to construct detention centers, fortified border barriers, and expanded military deployments along Chile’s northern borders with Peru and Bolivia.

Kast won the presidency on his third attempt. Boric congratulated him on TV and invited him to La Moneda Palace to begin the transition, noting the “loneliness of power” and challenges of governing.

Jara conceded the race, pledging to lead a "constructive" opposition while condemning "any hint of violence, wherever it comes from."

International reactions were swift. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio congratulated Kast, saying Washington was confident Chile would advance shared priorities, including "strengthening public security" and "ending illegal immigration."

Argentina’s far-right President Milei called Kast a "friend" and hailed the win against “21st-century socialism," while Brazil’s President Lula congratulated him, stressing cooperation and Latin America as a "zone of peace."

Despite his sweeping presidential win, Kast will not command an outright majority in either chamber of Congress, even with support from all rightwing parties, potentially complicating his legislative agenda.

Kast pledged to cut $6 billion in public spending within 18 months, though details are unclear. Political scientist Rossana Castiglioni noted his economic plans are uncertain, while his security agenda is clearer.

“Where there is far less uncertainty is on security policy, because that has been his workhorse throughout the campaign,” she noted.