Chile's Shift to the Right: José Antonio Kast Wins Presidential Election

Mon Dec 15 2025 18:21:50 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Chile has elected far-right candidate José Antonio Kast as its new president, marking a significant political shift. With promises to combat crime and immigration, his victory signals the country's biggest move to the right since the end of dictatorship.

In a decisive victory, José Antonio Kast won over 58% of the vote against Jeanette Jara, representing a pivot towards far-right politics in Chile. Known for his tough stance on crime and immigration, Kast's election is celebrated by supporters as a return to security while raising concerns among critics about a potential revival of authoritarianism.

Chile has elected the far-right wing José Antonio Kast to be its next president, after an election campaign that was dominated by themes of security, immigration and crime.

Kast beat the governing left-wing coalition candidate Jeanette Jara decisively with more than 58% of the vote in his third attempt at running for president.

It marks the biggest shift to the right since the end of Chile's military dictatorship in 1990. Kast has openly praised Chile's former right-wing dictator, Augusto Pinochet.

In his first speech to supporters as president-elect, Kast said: Chile will once again be free from crime, free from anguish, free from fear. Criminals, delinquents - their lives are going to change. We're going to look for them, find them, judge them and then we're going to lock them up.

At a gathering of his backers in the capital Santiago, many draped in Chilean flags, chanting and taking selfies, there was jubilation as the results came through. I'm happy we can recover the country's security and patriotism, said Augustina Trancoso, donning a red Make Chile Great Again cap.

Throughout the campaign, Kast portrayed Chile as a country that was descending into chaos and insecurity. He pledged to restore order and crack down on irregular immigration, as well as implementing sharp spending cuts.

Kast is an admirer of Donald Trump and has pledged policies echoing those of the US president, including building a border wall. His victory is a part of a broader trend in Latin America towards right-wing leadership.

Critics of Kast worry about the resurgence of far-right ideology and the implications for democracy in Chile, given his family connections to the Pinochet era.

Furthermore, Kast's positions against abortion and environmental protection policies are set to create significant societal debates in the coming years. He will be inaugurated on March 11, 2026.