🔗 Share this article Far-Right Former Legislator José Antonio Kast Voted In as Chile's Incoming President. In a decisive second-round vote, hardline figure José Antonio Kast has secured the presidency in Chile. A Clear-Cut Triumph With over 99% of polling stations reporting, Kast garnered 58.17% of the vote, defeating leftist contender Jeannette Jara, who earned 41.83%. This represents Kast's third presidency, having previously been defeated by the incumbent president, Gabriel Boric, in the 2021 second round. Agenda Focused On Security and Immigration Noted for his staunch Catholic views and admiration for the rule of former leader Augusto Pinochet, Kast's platform was primarily focused on promises to combat rising insecurity and radically restrict immigration. He repeatedly blamed migrants, notably the approximately 330,000 illegal individuals in Chile, for security issues. Throughout the race, he issued an final demand for them to leave before the inauguration or face removal. His plans featured U.S.-style measures such as building camps, high walls, security fences, and bolstering the army presence on the northernmost border. Part of a Regional Shift Several commentators view Kast's win as aligning with a broader right-wing wave in the region, coming after recent political results in countries like Ecuador, Bolivia, and Argentina. Nevertheless, other pundits also frame it as a extension of the regular alternation of power between left and right-wing leadership since Chile's establishment of democracy in 1990. Leading Without a Strong Mandate Despite his decisive electoral triumph, Kast is not expected to hold an overall majority in Congress, not in the Chamber of Deputies or the Senate, even if all right-leaning parties are grouped together. This political landscape may challenge his policy goals, including a pledge to slash public spending by billions within 18 months—a plan for which he has not detailed a clear explanation. "We have numerous questions about what a Kast administration will operate that we don't know because he has not explained the way he will implement them," noted a political science professor. The expert stated, "Regarding the economy, it is highly probable we will see adjustment measures typical of the right. But the area with far less doubt is on law and order, because that has been his flagship issue during the campaign."