Far-right politician José Antonio Kast has won Chile’s presidential runoff election with about 58 % of the vote, defeating leftist rival Jeannette Jara and marking Chile’s most significant shift to the right in decades. Kast, a conservative former lawmaker and leader of the Republican Party, has campaigned on a hardline platform focused on combating crime, tightening immigration controls, and reviving economic growth—policies that resonated with voters amid rising insecurity and economic concerns. His victory breaks the long pattern of centre-left and centre-right alternation since the end of Chile’s military dictatorship in 1990.
The result has drawn broad international attention as part of a wider right-wing trend across Latin America, with leaders such as Argentina’s Javier Milei and officials in the United States welcoming Kast’s win as a boost for conservative governance and security cooperation. At home, supporters celebrated in the streets of Santiago, while critics warn of potential impacts on democratic norms and social rights. Kast is expected to take office in March 2026, but faces a diverse Congress that could moderate some of his more controversial proposals.
