🔗 Share this article Ultra-Conservative Ex- Congressman José Antonio Kast Chosen as Chile New President. In a decisive runoff election, far-right candidate José Antonio Kast has won the presidential office in Chile. A Commanding Victory With over 99% of votes tallied, Kast garnered 58.17% of the vote, defeating leftist contender Jeannette Jara, who received 41.83%. This signifies Kast's third attempt at the presidency, having earlier been beaten by the incumbent president, Gabriel Boric, in the 2021 final vote. Campaign Focused On Law and Order and Migration Recognized for his staunch Catholic views and admiration for the era of former leader Augusto Pinochet, Kast's campaign was primarily built on promises to tackle rising insecurity and radically reduce migration. He frequently cited foreigners, particularly the approximately 330,000 illegal individuals in Chile, for public safety problems. During the race, he delivered an stern warning for them to leave before the new term begins or face removal. His policy ideas featured controversial measures such as erecting detention centers, border walls, electric fences, and bolstering the army presence on the northern frontier. Amid a Regional Shift Numerous observers interpret Kast's win as fitting into a broader right-wing wave in South America, following this year's electoral results in countries like Ecuador, Bolivia, and Argentina. Nevertheless, other pundits additionally frame it as a part of the established rotation of power between left and right governments since Chile's transition to democracy in 1990. Ruling Lacking a Clear Mandate In spite of his clear electoral win, Kast will not hold an overall majority in parliament, not in the lower house or the Senate, even when all right-leaning parties are combined together. This legislative landscape may complicate his policy goals, such as a vow to reduce public spending by $6 billion within 18 months—a plan for which he has not offered specifics. "There are several things about what a Kast administration will be that we don't know because he has not said the way he will achieve them," said a political analyst. The analyst continued, "Regarding economic policy, it is almost certain we will see spending cuts typical of the right. But the area with much less uncertainty is on public safety, because that has been his workhorse across the race."