José Antonio Kast, representing the far-right political force, has been elected as the President of Chile. His victory symbolizes the most significant shift to the right in the country since 1990, when the military dictatorship ended. Kast, known for his sympathies towards former dictator Augusto Pinochet, reports the BBC.
In the final voting, Kast received over 58% of the votes, surpassing Jeanette Jara, the candidate of the ruling leftist coalition, who was the leader in the first round of elections. A significant portion of the votes cast for Kast came from voters who supported right-wing candidates such as Franco Parisi, Johannes Kaiser, and Evelyn Matthei, while Jara represented the only leftist force in this election.
BBC correspondent in South America, Ion Wells, covered a rally of Kast's supporters in Santiago, the capital of Chile. Many of them were wrapped in national flags, chanting slogans and taking selfies, with the joy in the crowd growing with each announcement of the results.
“I am glad that we can bring safety and patriotism back to our people,” commented Augustina Trancoso, a woman supporting Kast, wearing a cap that read “Make Chile Great Again.” “We have been trying for a long time to win the elections,” added another Kast supporter, Belen Valdivieso. “In the past, it was safe to walk the streets in Chile, but lately, we have faced security threats. I hope he will fulfill his promises and focus on this issue.”
In his first speech after being elected president, Kast stated: “Chile will once again be free from crime, anxiety, and fear.” He promised to actively fight crime, find and punish offenders. During the campaign, Kast portrayed Chile as a country descending into chaos and promised to restore order, combat illegal immigration, and significantly reduce government spending. Despite Chile being considered one of the safest countries in South America, there has been a rise in immigration and organized crime in recent years, which Kast links together.
His political views and approach are similar to those practiced by Donald Trump. Kast promised to build a wall on the borders with Peru and Bolivia, create high-security prisons, and carry out mass deportations of illegal migrants, most of whom have come from Venezuela. For many of Kast's voters, the primary reason for their support was the growing insecurity.
“We are turning into Colombia — a lot of terrorism, thefts, and robberies; society is becoming unsafe,” said Max Struber, who voted for Kast, to the BBC. “It may sound harsh, but we need the government to continue Pinochet's work. Human rights violations are true, but at the same time, Pinochet's rule provided peace and tranquility.”
However, not all Chileans agree with this viewpoint: critics argue that the problem is exaggerated. The murder rate in the country is declining, and some studies show that migrants commit fewer crimes on average.
A Santiago resident, Javiera Carrasco, supported some of Kast's initiatives but ultimately voted for Jeanette Jara from the Communist Party. She expressed the opinion that “a false sense of insecurity has become widespread.”
“In other countries, much more serious things are happening than here,” she added.
After the election results were announced, Jara noted that “democracy has spoken clearly” and wished Kast “success for the good of Chile.”
Photo author, Reuters. Jeanette Jara, the candidate from the Communist Party, was Kast's main opponent
Brief Biography of José Antonio Kast
José Antonio Kast, 59, is a lawyer and former congressman who has previously attempted to run for president twice. In 2021, he lost to leftist candidate Gabriel Boric in the second round of elections. The decline in Boric's ratings may have influenced the election results in favor of Jeanette Jara, who could be perceived as a continuation of his policies.
Kast advocates for the establishment of an “emergency government” to address security, immigration, and economic development issues. At the same time, he tries to reassure those who fear a return to dictatorship.
“An emergency government does not mean authoritarianism,” he asserts.
Kast has nine children. He is firmly against abortion, even in cases of conception resulting from rape, and actively criticizes environmental initiatives and human rights movements.
His brother, Miguel Kast, belonged to the so-called “Chicago Boys” — economic advisors to Pinochet. During the dictator's rule, he held positions as Minister of Labor and head of the Central Bank. Kast's father, Michael Kast, fought in the Wehrmacht during World War II and fled to South America after the war to avoid denazification.
Kast claims that his father was conscripted into the army against his will to avoid a military tribunal.
“Our family history is as far from Nazism as possible,” he stated during the 2021 election.
However, investigations have found documents confirming that Michael Kast was a member of the Nazi Party from the age of 18. While there are questions about whether this refers to the same person, the information about the place and date of birth matches that of his father.
Kast does not consider himself far-right, yet he expresses support for Pinochet's regime and claims that if he were alive, he would vote for him.
The Pinochet dictatorship is known for its serious human rights violations, including torture and murder. Kast claims that he does not approve of such actions and that under Pinochet, there was a “transition to democracy,” unlike in countries like Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua.
Last year, he visited a mega-prison in El Salvador to study its operations. This prison, opened in 2023, has become a symbol of the “war against criminal gangs” declared by El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele. Critics note that the prison is characterized by brutal conditions and violations of inmates' rights.
According to BBC correspondent Daniel Garcia Marco, Kast promotes the ideas of Bukele's “strong hand” and offers a market approach to the economy, reducing the role of the state and deregulation. He has outlined plans to cut government spending by $6 billion over 18 months under the slogan “cutting political expenses.” Critics have doubts about the feasibility of this plan and the promise to deport 360,000 illegal migrants.
The Choice of the “Least Evil”
Chile has become another Latin American country that has shifted to the right amid elections. Similar changes have occurred in Argentina, Ecuador, Costa Rica, and El Salvador.
This election was the first in Chile where voting became mandatory, and voter registration was automatic for all eligible voters.
One of the factors of uncertainty in this election was the fate of the votes of more than five million Chileans who previously abstained from voting. Mandatory voting largely explains Kast's record support — over seven million votes, the highest result for a presidential candidate in Chile's history.
Some voters felt they were forced to choose the “least evil.”
“I’m not sure I would call it a choice between two evils, but I believe Chile needs change,” said Claudio Sanués, who voted for Kast, to the BBC. “And I see that Kast can be that alternative.”
“Both candidates seemed to represent two extremes,” noted Cynthia Urrutia, who supported Jeanette Jara, considering her more centrist.
Kast will officially take office on March 11, 2026, and has already announced “difficult decisions” that lie ahead. At his rallies, he often reminded illegal migrants of the need to leave the country by that date if they hope to return at any time.
As noted by BBC correspondent in Chile Cecilia Barriá, Kast does not have an absolute majority in Congress, and he will likely have to negotiate with parliament to implement some of his promises.
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