Chile Shifts to the Right: José Antonio Kast Elected President

Mon Dec 15 2025 19:12:25 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In a significant political shift, Chile elects far-right candidate José Antonio Kast, marking a decisive victory with over 58% of the votes amidst rising concerns over crime and immigration.

Chile has elected José Antonio Kast, a far-right politician, as its next president, signaling a major political shift for the country. His victory reflects growing public concerns about security and immigration, and he has pledged to take a hardline approach against crime. Critics worry about a return to past authoritarian policies, as Kast has openly admired Augusto Pinochet's regime.

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, he added.

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.

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, and implement sharp spending cuts.

Kast is an admirer of Donald Trump, who is likely to become a close ally, and his policies echo those of the US president. He has pledged a border wall on Chile's porous frontier with Peru and Bolivia, maximum-security prisons, and mass deportations of irregular migrants, many of whom are from Venezuela.

Chile is one of the safest and more stable countries in South America, but a rise in immigration and organised crime in recent years has concerned many voters. Kast regularly drew links between the two.

His critics, though, say the problem is being exaggerated. Chile's murder rate is now falling, and some studies suggest that those born abroad commit fewer crimes on average.

Kast has also been firmly against abortion, even in cases of rape, and environmental protection policies. His victory will likely be welcomed by investors as he has pledged a free-market approach to economics to shrink the state and deregulate certain industries.

This was the first presidential election in Chile where voting was mandatory and registration was automatic for those eligible, leaving some voters feeling compelled to choose the least-worst option. Kast's inauguration is set for March 11, 2026, marking a new chapter in Chile's political landscape.