🔗 Share this article

Following a conclusive runoff election, hardline candidate José Antonio Kast has secured the top job in Chile.

A Clear-Cut Victory

With more than 99% of ballots counted, Kast won 58.17% of the vote, defeating leftist former minister Jeannette Jara, who received 41.83%.

This signifies Kast's third presidency, having earlier been lost by the current president, Gabriel Boric, in the 2021 second round.

Platform Centered On Law and Order and Migration

Recognized for his unwavering socially conservative views and admiration for the period of former leader Augusto Pinochet, Kast's campaign was primarily built on promises to tackle increasing insecurity and drastically curb migration.

He frequently cited foreigners, especially the roughly 330,000 undocumented individuals in Chile, for public safety problems. During the campaign, he delivered an final demand for them to exit before the inauguration or face removal.

His plans envisioned Trump-inspired measures such as erecting camps, barriers, perimeter fencing, and increasing the military presence on the northernmost border.

Amid a Continental Shift

Many analysts interpret Kast's victory as aligning with a wider right-wing trend in the region, similar to this year's political wins in nations like Ecuador, Bolivia, and Argentina.

However, other experts further view it as a part of the established alternation of power between left-wing and right administrations since Chile's transition to democracy in 1990.

Ruling Without a Clear Mandate

In spite of his sweeping electoral victory, Kast is not expected to command an overall majority in parliament, not in the lower house or the Senate, even if various conservative parties are grouped together.

This legislative situation may complicate his policy goals, including a pledge to reduce public spending by a significant sum within 18 months—a measure for which he has yet to detailed specifics.

"We have many aspects about how a Kast presidency will be that we don't know because he has not explained the way he will do them," said a political expert.

The analyst continued, "On economic policy, it is highly probable we will see spending cuts associated with the right. However the area with considerably less doubt is on security policy, because that has been his flagship issue throughout the campaign."