🔗 Share this article

Following a conclusive runoff election, ultra-conservative candidate José Antonio Kast has clinched the presidential office in Chile.

A Resounding Win

With over 99% of ballots counted, Kast secured 58.17% of the vote, overcoming leftist candidate Jeannette Jara, who received 41.83%.

This signifies Kast's third bid for the presidency, having in the past been defeated by the current president, Gabriel Boric, in the 2021 final vote.

Agenda Focused On Law and Order and Immigration

Noted for his unwavering Catholic views and admiration for the period of former leader Augusto Pinochet, Kast's platform was largely centered on promises to combat growing violence and significantly curb migration.

He repeatedly cited foreigners, notably the approximately 330,000 illegal individuals in Chile, for crime rates. Throughout the race, he gave an stern warning for them to exit before the March 11 handover or face deportation.

His policy ideas featured U.S.-style measures such as building camps, high walls, electric fences, and strengthening the army presence on the northernmost frontier.

Part of a Regional Shift

Several observers interpret Kast's success as aligning with a wider rightward wave in South America, following recent political outcomes in nations like Ecuador, Bolivia, and Argentina.

However, other pundits additionally view it as a continuation of the established swing of power between left-wing and right-wing leadership since Chile's transition to democracy in 1990.

Ruling Without a Solid Mandate

Despite his sweeping popular vote triumph, Kast is not expected to command an clear majority in parliament, not in the Chamber of Deputies or the Senate, even if all rightwing parties are combined together.

This political situation may complicate his plans, including a pledge to cut public spending by $6 billion within a year and a half—a measure for which he has yet to offered specifics.

"We have numerous questions about what a Kast government will operate that are uncertain because he has not said how he will do them," noted a political expert.

The analyst added, "In terms of the economy, it is highly probable we will see austerity policies common for the right. However where there is considerably less doubt is on law and order, because that has been his central theme during the race."