Chile Elects Most Right-Wing President in 35 Years as Kast Wins Landmark Victory

Conservative José Antonio Kast secured a decisive victory in Chile’s presidential runoff election on Sunday, defeating the candidate of the leftist governing coalition and setting the stage for the country’s most right-wing government in 35 years of democracy.

With over 95% of votes counted, Kast won more than 58% of the ballot as Chilean voters embraced his pledges to crack down on rising crime, deport hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants, and revive the sluggish economy of one of Latin America’s most stable and prosperous nations. His challenger, communist candidate Jeannette Jara—who served as labor minister in President Gabriel Boric’s administration—secured just over 41% support.

“Democracy spoke loud and clear,” Jara wrote on social media after she called Kast to concede defeat and congratulate him on his campaign success. Kast’s supporters erupted into celebrations across the streets, shouting his name and honking car horns. His campaign spokesman, Arturo Squella, declared victory from party headquarters in Santiago: “We are very proud of the work we’ve done. We feel very responsible for this tremendous challenge of taking charge of the crises that Chile is going through.”

Kast’s election marks the latest wave of Latin American elections where incumbent leaders have been ousted by conservative candidates, a trend spanning from Argentina to Bolivia. The two finalists were polar opposites in their governance approaches: Jara, a lifelong member of Chile’s Communist Party who pioneered significant social welfare programs during Boric’s presidency and hails from a working-class family that protested the 1973–1990 military dictatorship, stood in stark contrast to Kast.

Kast, a devout Catholic and father of nine, is the son of a German-born father registered as a member of Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Party and whose brother served in the dictatorship. He had previously struggled to win over moderate voters in two failed presidential bids. His moral conservatism—including opposition to same-sex marriage and abortion without exception—was widely rejected by many Chileans in the increasingly socially liberal nation. His admiration for General Augusto Pinochet’s military dictatorship also drew sharp criticism during his 2021 campaign against President Boric.

Yet recent years have seen mounting public concern over uncontrolled migration and organized crime, fueling enthusiasm for Kast’s hardline platform. This shift ultimately propelled him to victory in Chile’s pivotal election.