In a historic political shift, Chile has elected far-right candidate José Antonio Kast as its next president, marking the country’s most significant turn to the right since the end of its military dictatorship in 1990. Kast secured a decisive victory with over 58% of the vote, defeating left-wing coalition candidate Jeanette Jara in a campaign dominated by issues of security, crime, and immigration. A vocal admirer of both Chile’s former dictator Augusto Pinochet and former U.S. President Donald Trump, Kast has pledged to restore order through stringent measures, including building a border wall, implementing mass deportations of irregular migrants, and enacting sharp public spending cuts. His victory speech emphasized a crackdown on criminals, promising to „look for them, find them, judge them, and then lock them up,” which resonated with voters concerned about rising insecurity despite Chile remaining one of South America’s safest nations.
Kast’s rise to power reflects deep-seated anxieties among many Chileans over immigration and crime, even as official data shows a declining murder rate and studies indicate that foreign-born residents commit fewer crimes on average. Supporters at his victory celebration in Santiago, draped in Chilean flags and wearing „Make Chile Great Again” caps, expressed hope that his policies would recover national security and patriotism. Voters like Augustina Trancoso and Max Struber cited a perceived transformation into a more dangerous society, with Struber controversially advocating for a continuation of Pinochet’s work, despite the dictatorship’s history of brutal human rights abuses. Kast’s family connections to the Pinochet regime—his brother served as a minister and his father was a Nazi party member—have intensified fears among opponents about a return to Chile’s authoritarian past.
The election outcome also represents a rejection of the current left-wing government under President Gabriel Boric, who suffered from low approval ratings and could not seek re-election. Jeanette Jara, the defeated left-wing candidate, was seen as a „continuity vote” in a climate where voters like Francisco Otero viewed the status quo as „much worse.” While Jara gracefully conceded, stating that „democracy has spoken loud and clear,” her supporters, such as Ricardo Herrera—who lived through Pinochet’s rule—worry that Kast’s victory threatens democratic values and could revive the traumas of the dictatorship. However, skepticism remains about the feasibility of Kast’s ambitious pledges, with some voters like Hector Lunes doubting the practicality of policies such as expelling hundreds of thousands of undocumented migrants.
Overall, Kast’s election underscores a pivotal moment in Chilean politics, driven by a potent mix of perceived security threats, anti-immigration sentiment, and disillusionment with the left. As he prepares to take office in March 2026, the nation stands at a crossroads, balancing promises of order and safety against concerns over human rights and democratic backsliding. The international community will be watching closely to see how Kast’s far-right agenda unfolds in one of Latin America’s traditionally stable democracies.
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