Far-right candidate José Antonio Kast of the Republican Party has won Chile’s presidential runoff election, securing approximately 58% of the vote against center-left opponent Jeannette Jara, who garnered around 42%. With over 98% of ballots counted, Jara conceded defeat, stating, “Democracy has spoken loud and clear,” and wished Kast success for the good of Chile.
Kast, a 59-year-old devout Catholic and father of nine, campaigned on a tough law-and-order platform, promising mass deportations of undocumented migrants, border fortifications, and military deployment to combat rising crime.
His victory marks Chile’s sharpest rightward shift since the end of Augusto Pinochet’s dictatorship in 1990, making him the most conservative president in the country’s democratic era.
Outgoing President Gabriel Boric congratulated Kast and invited him to the presidential palace for transition talks. Kast’s win aligns Chile with a growing wave of right-wing governments in Latin America, including Argentina under Javier Milei and recent shifts in Bolivia and Ecuador.
