Santiago, Chile – Hard-right politician Jose Antonio Kast won the second round of Chile’s presidential elections yesterday, securing a record 58.2% of votes and beating Communist Party rival Jeannette Jara.
Kast’s campaign focused on combatting crime and irregular migration in Chile, a country which has in recent years seen a rise in criminal gangs for the first time in its history.
Kast, whose father was in the Nazi party and who has openly expressed support for former dictator Augusto Pinochet, will become Chile’s first right-wing president since the end of military rule in 1990.
Yesterday’s result concludes what commentators describe as Chile’s most polemic elections this century, with two ideological opposites contending for the country’s highest office.
Jara represented continuity, having served as Minister of Labor under incumbent leftist President Gabriel Boric, while Kast campaigned promising to tackle insecurity in Chile.
“Order is not a whim; it is justice. Order allows a mother to walk home peacefully. Order is what allows an entrepreneur to open their business without fear of being looted. Order is what allows our children to play in a public square without the risk of being struck by a stray bullet,” Kast emphasized in his first speech as president-elect.
Chile has seen an increase in violent crime in recent years, with homicide rates doubling since 2015. While the country remains one of the safest in Latin America, Kast’s campaign tapped into rising fears over insecurity and anti-immigration sentiment.
Ahead of the elections, Kast told migrants to leave before he won, warning of mass deportation plans.
His platform seemed to resonate with the Chilean electorate, as the right-wing politician received a record seven million votes in a country of some 20 million.
Following the election result, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed his interest in working with the incoming Kast administration to strengthen regional security and revitalize trade relations between the U.S. and Chile.
Argentine President Javier Milei also celebrated the victory, writing in an X post: “[I feel] immense joy at the overwhelming victory of my friend… I am certain that we will work together so that America embraces the ideals of freedom and we can liberate ourselves from the oppressive yoke of 21st-century socialism.”
In a phone call between incumbent Boric and president-elect Kast, Boric congratulated Kast on his victory and stressed his willingness to collaborate to ensure a smooth transition of power.
Jara also conceded defeat early and personally visited Kast to congratulate him on his victory.
The conciliatory attitude of the opposition will quell fears of political instability following a tense election.
Chile is a young democracy, with the dictatorship coming to an end following a 1988 national plebiscite, in which 55.99% of voters voted “No” to the continuation of Pinochet’s rule.
Despite his history victory, major challenges now lie ahead for the president-elect, who has promised sweeping change in Chile.
Featured image description: Jose Antonio Kast.
Featured image credit: @joseantoniokast via X.
