Far-right candidate Jose Antonio Kast has won Chile’s presidential runoff election, defeating former Labour Minister Jeannette Jara and ousting the current centre-left government.
Jose Antonio Kast Wins Chile’s Presidency
On Sunday, with nearly all ballots counted, Kast secured 58 percent of the vote, defeating Jara, a Communist Party politician representing the governing centre-left coalition.
Jara and her coalition, Unity for Chile, conceded defeat shortly after polls closed. “Democracy has spoken loud and clear. I have just spoken with President-elect [Kast] to wish him success for the good of Chile,” Jara wrote on social media.
“To those who supported us and were inspired by our candidacy, rest assured that we will continue working to build a better life in our country. Together and standing strong, as we always have.”
Kast hailed the election results as a “broad mandate” to carry out his political agenda in a victory speech. “This is not a personal achievement, nor is it a party achievement,” he told supporters. “Chile won here, with the hope of no longer living in fear, of a Chile that works.”
The result marks a victory for the far right in Latin America, following similar outcomes in countries like Argentina and Ecuador.
A Hardline Platform and Historic Win
The win represents a significant comeback for the 59-year-old leader of the Republican Party, marking his third attempt to win the presidency and his first successful bid. He was defeated by outgoing President Gabriel Boric in 2021 by nearly a 10-point margin.
Boric, Chile’s youngest president, saw his popularity slump to around 30 percent by the end of his four-year term and was ineligible to run for a second term. Voters also expressed frustration with rising crime, immigration, and a slowing economy.
Kast campaigned on promises to address these concerns through crackdowns on crime and immigration, including mass deportation. His security platform, dubbed the “Implacable Plan,” proposes stiffer mandatory minimum sentencing and isolating cartel leaders.
“Today, while criminals and drug traffickers walk freely through the streets, committing crimes and intimidating people, honest Chileans are locked in their homes, paralyzed by fear,” Kast writes in his security plan.
Kast also holds hardline stances on social and health issues, opposing abortion even in cases of rape, informed by his Catholic background.
Critics have focused on Kast’s sympathetic comments regarding Chile’s former dictator, Augusto Pinochet, who oversaw a military coup in 1973 and ruled until 1990. Pinochet’s government was known for widespread human rights abuses.
Kast has repeatedly defended Pinochet’s government, famously stating, “If he were alive, he would vote for me.” Opponents have also highlighted his father’s past membership in the Nazi Party.
This is the first time since 1990, when Chile returned to democracy after the military dictatorship, that a conservative government will be in power, though Kast has moderated his platform in recent years.
Latin America’s Right Reacts
Right-wing leaders across the Americas offered congratulations following Kast’s victory. Former U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote, “Congratulations to Chilean President-Elect [Jose Antonio Kast] on his victory. The United States looks forward to partnering with his administration to strengthen regional security and revitalize our trade relationship.”
Argentina’s libertarian leader Javier Milei hailed Kast’s election as a win for Latin America’s conservative movement, stating, “FREEDOM IS ADVANCING.”
Ecuador’s right-wing President Daniel Noboa said that “a new era is beginning for Chile and for the region”.
This year’s presidential race was the first since 2012 to feature compulsory voting, with approximately 15.7 million eligible voters in Chile.
Kast originally came in second place during the first round of voting on November 16, scoring about 23.9 percent of the vote, compared with Jara’s 26.8 percent. However, polls widely favoured him to win the run-off. While the left wing coalesced around Jara, right-wing parties did not hold a primary.
Kast will be sworn in on March 11, though he faces a divided National Congress, which is expected to limit some of his proposals.
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