🔗 Share this article

Following a conclusive final ballot, far-right figure José Antonio Kast has clinched the presidency in Chile.

A Clear-Cut Win

After more than 99% of ballots counted, Kast won 58.17% of the ballots, defeating leftist candidate Jeannette Jara, who received 41.83%.

This signifies Kast's third presidency, having in the past been beaten by the incumbent president, Gabriel Boric, in the 2021 runoff.

Platform Built On Security and Immigration

Noted for his unwavering socially conservative views and regard for the era of former leader Augusto Pinochet, Kast's platform was primarily built on promises to tackle growing crime and radically curb migration.

He consistently blamed immigrants, notably the around 330,000 illegal individuals in Chile, for crime rates. Throughout the campaign, he gave an final demand for them to leave before the March 11 handover or face expulsion.

His plans included Trump-inspired measures such as erecting detention centers, border walls, security fences, and bolstering the armed forces presence on the northernmost frontier.

Part of a Regional Trend

Several analysts view Kast's victory as part of a wider right-wing wave in South America, following this year's electoral wins in countries like Ecuador, Bolivia, and Argentina.

Yet, other analysts further frame it as a extension of the established alternation of power between left-wing and right-wing leadership since Chile's transition to democracy in 1990.

Ruling Lacking a Clear Mandate

In spite of his sweeping popular vote victory, Kast does not have an absolute majority in Congress, not in the lower house or the Senate, even when all rightwing parties are grouped together.

This political landscape may challenge his plans, such as a promise to cut public spending by a significant sum within a year and a half—a measure for which he has yet to provided specifics.

"There are numerous things about how a Kast administration will operate that are uncertain because he has not said the way he will do them," noted a political science analyst.

The analyst stated, "On fiscal matters, it is almost certain we will see austerity policies associated with the right-wing. But where there is considerably less uncertainty is on security policy, because that has been his flagship issue during the race."