Chile shifts sharply right as José Antonio Kast wins Presidency

Chile's presidential election has resulted in a significant shift to the right, with José Antonio Kast, a staunch conservative, claiming victory. The election followed a campaign heavily influenced by public anxieties surrounding crime, immigration, and economic stability.

Kast, who leads the Republican Party, garnered over 58% of the vote with nearly all ballots counted. His opponent, Communist Party candidate Jeannette Jara, received just over 41% of the vote and conceded defeat via social media, stating that "democracy spoke loud and clear." The outgoing president, Gabriel Boric, also contacted Kast to offer his congratulations.

Celebratory scenes unfolded as the results became clear. Car horns blared, and crowds waving Chilean flags gathered in Santiago's affluent district, awaiting a speech from the president-elect.

Following his victory, Kast addressed the nation, promising to "work relentlessly to restore peace, order, growth, and hope." He also pledged to represent all Chileans as their president.

"Chile will be free from crime again, free from anguish, free from fear," he declared.

The 59-year-old Kast, a devout Catholic and father of nine, focused his campaign on public safety and immigration issues. He frequently spoke of a "crisis" in Chile, promising an "emergency" government to address these concerns. This message resonated with many in Chile, where there has been a rise in violent crime and growing worries about undocumented immigration.

Kast's open admiration for former dictator Augusto Pinochet marks him as the first president since Chile's return to democracy in 1990 to publicly support the military regime. His father, Michael Kast, was a Nazi Party member who served in the German army during World War II before immigrating to Chile in 1950.

Kast is scheduled to assume office on March 11, 2026. He has stated that undocumented migrants will have until that date to leave the country, after which they will face deportation or prosecution.

This victory for Kast ends years of left-of-center governance in Chile. It also mirrors a wider trend in Latin America, where security and migration are increasingly important issues in elections. Recent elections in Bolivia saw the removal of socialists who had been in power for almost two decades. In Argentina, Javier Milei's La Libertad Avanza party gained ground in legislative elections, increasing his influence in Congress. Ecuador also re-elected Daniel Noboa, a center-right leader.

Argentina's far-right libertarian President Javier Milei celebrated Kast's victory, referring to his "friend's" win as evidence that Latin America is breaking free from "the oppressive shackles of 21st-century socialism."