Chile’s Shift to the Right: José Antonio Kast Wins Presidency
José Antonio Kast secured approximately 58% of the vote in the December 2025 runoff election, marking the most pronounced shift to the right since Chile’s return to democracy in 1990.
Inaugurated on March 11, 2026, Kast defeated Jeannette Jara of the Communist Party, who received roughly 41% of the vote. Jara graciously conceded, stating that "democracy has spoken loud and clear" and wishing Kast "success for the good of Chile."
Election Results and Transition
Outgoing President Gabriel Boric, who was not eligible for re-election, congratulated Kast. Boric's administration had struggled with low approval ratings—a Cadem survey found that 53% of respondents rated his presidency as the worst since 1990.
The runoff followed an initial round where no candidate secured a majority. This was the first election in Chile where all eligible voters were automatically registered and voting was compulsory.
Policy Platform: Security, Immigration, and Economy
Kast's campaign focused heavily on public security, immigration control, and crime reduction. He characterized the country as facing a "crisis" and proposed forming an "emergency government." His key proposals include:
- Border barriers: Constructing trenches and a wall along Chile's northern borders with Peru and Bolivia
- Mass deportations: Removing undocumented migrants from the country
- New prisons: Building maximum-security facilities, drawing comparisons to those in El Salvador
- Criminalizing illegal immigration: Making undocumented entry a criminal offense
- Tax cuts and budget reductions: Lowering corporation tax and cutting $6 billion from the public budget within 18 months, potentially dismissing public employees hired under the previous administration
"Undocumented migrants should leave the country before my inauguration if they wish to retain the possibility of future re-entry."
Kast has stated that migrants who comply with the law will be welcomed, while those who commit crimes will be incarcerated.
Political Background and Family History
Kast is a conservative lawyer and former congressman making his third bid for the presidency. He previously lost the 2021 runoff to Gabriel Boric. Over 30 years in politics, he served as a local councilor and three consecutive terms in congress with the Independent Democratic Union (UDI). In 2016, he left the UDI, stating the party had diverged from its original principles, and in 2019 founded the Republican Party, which advocates for the "defense of human life since conception," family values, and a market economy.
Kast has expressed admiration for former dictator Augusto Pinochet. During the 1988 plebiscite, he campaigned for Pinochet to remain in power. Pinochet led a 17-year military dictatorship after a U.S.-backed 1973 coup, characterized by human rights abuses, forced disappearances, and free-market economic policies. In his first post-election address, Kast stated his "emergency government" would not involve "authoritarianism."
Kast's father, Michael Kast, was a German-born former Wehrmacht soldier and Nazi Party member who moved to Chile after World War II. The family established a meat processing factory and a Bavarian restaurant chain. His brother, Miguel Kast, served as a minister during the Pinochet regime.
Crime and Immigration Context
Concerns about violent crime have intensified in recent years. A 2024 Gallup report ranked Chile sixth globally for fear of walking alone at night. The 2023 murder rate stood at six homicides per 100,000 people—triple that of 2015—though lower than many other Latin American countries. Homicides peaked in 2022 and subsequently declined.
Chile's foreign-born population has surged to over 1.9 million by December 2023, a 46% increase since 2018. Official estimates indicate approximately 330,000 to 336,000 of these individuals are undocumented, many from Venezuela. Kast linked rising crime rates to immigration, though some studies suggest foreign-born individuals commit fewer crimes on average than Chilean nationals.
Following the election, construction began on an 11-kilometer trench near Arica as part of a "border shield plan." Government delegate Cristián Sayes reported the trench was approximately 53.6% complete. Illegal border crossing attempts decreased from 2,460 in 2024 to 1,746 in 2025. However, attempts to leave Chile illegally increased sharply—nearly 500 were thwarted in the first four months of 2025, compared to 33 in all of 2024.
Regional and International Context
Kast's election aligns with a regional shift toward right-leaning governments in Argentina, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, and Panama. President Javier Milei of Argentina welcomed Kast's victory. U.S. Senator Marco Rubio extended congratulations, expressing Washington's interest in collaborating on regional security.
"A clear direction in the first 100 days could lead to cooperation, while a lack of clarity might result in opposition." — Mariano Machado, analyst
Kast attended a "Shield of the Americas" security alliance launch and a Conservative Political Action Conference in Hungary during his campaign. Relations between Chile and the United States declined during the second Trump administration, with President Boric having publicly criticized Trump's leadership. Trump had extended an invitation to Kast for the "Shield of the Americas" summit. Kast has also met with El Salvador's security minister and expressed approval for President Bukele's crime-fighting methods.
Public Sentiment and Reactions
Voter opinions on Kast's victory were mixed.
Supporters expressed hopes for improved security. One voter stated a desire for the country to recover "security and patriotism." Another said, "In Chile, you used to be able to walk the streets peacefully, lately we've experienced problems with insecurity."
Some voters suggested the security problem may be exaggerated. One commented that "a false sense of insecurity is becoming widespread." Another expressed skepticism about deporting 360,000 undocumented migrants, stating, "He won't be able to do that. It's physically impossible."
Supporters of Jara voiced concerns about Kast's presidency. Ricardo Herrera, who lived through Pinochet's rule, described it as "brutal." In Paine, where a memorial stands for 70 men disappeared under the Pinochet regime, relatives of the disappeared expressed vigilance over the new president's actions and their continued pursuit of truth and justice.
Outlook
Analysts indicate the new administration's initial actions will be critical for its four-year term, particularly given a divided Parliament. Mariano Machado noted that clear direction in the first 100 days could foster cooperation, while ambiguity might galvanize opposition.