Conservative José Antonio Kast secured a decisive victory in Chile’s presidential runoff election on Sunday, defeating the candidate of the leftist governing coalition and setting the stage for the country’s most right-wing government in 35 years of democracy.
With over 95% of votes counted, Kast won more than 58% of the ballot as voters overwhelmingly endorsed his pledge to address rising crime, deport hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants, and revitalize the sluggish economy of one of Latin America’s most stable and prosperous nations.
His opponent, Jeannette Jara—a communist candidate who served as labor minister under President Gabriel Boric—secured just over 41% of the vote.
“Democracy spoke loud and clear,” Jara wrote on social media after announcing she had called Kast to concede defeat and congratulate him on his campaign success.
Supporters flooded the streets in celebration, shouting Kast’s name and honking car horns. His campaign spokesman, Arturo Squella, declared victory from Santiago: “We are very proud of the work we’ve done,” he said. “We feel very responsible for this tremendous challenge of taking charge of the crises that Chile is going through.”
Kast’s win marks the latest in a string of presidential victories for conservative leaders across Latin America, overturning incumbent governments from Argentina to Bolivia.
The candidates presented starkly contrasting profiles: Jara, a lifelong member of Chile’s Communist Party who implemented key social welfare programs during Boric’s administration and comes from a working-class background that protested against the 1973-1990 military dictatorship, stood in sharp contrast to Kast.
Kast, a devout Catholic and father of nine whose German-born father was a registered member of Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Party and whose brother served in the dictatorship, had previously struggled to win over moderate voters in two failed presidential bids. His moral conservatism—including strong opposition to same-sex marriage and abortion without exception—had been rejected by many in Chile’s increasingly socially liberal population. During his campaign against President Boric four years ago, Kast drew criticism for expressing admiration for General Augusto Pinochet’s military dictatorship.
However, growing concerns over uncontrolled migration and organized crime have fueled public support for a hardline approach to crime, ultimately dominating the election and strengthening Kast’s law-and-order platform.
