Far-Right José Antonio Kast Wins Chile Presidency
Monday, December 15, 2025
Pinochet admirer secures 58% victory on hardline immigration and security platform
Ultra-conservative José Antonio Kast has been elected Chile's president with 58.16% of the vote, defeating leftist candidate Jeannette Jara. The son of a Nazi party member who openly admires dictator Augusto Pinochet, Kast campaigned on promises to expel hundreds of thousands of undocumented migrants and crack down on rising crime.
His victory marks Chile's most right-wing government since democracy returned in 1990, part of a broader conservative shift across Latin America. Kast pledged to build border walls, construct maximum-security prisons, and cut $6 billion in public spending within 18 months, though he lacks a congressional majority to implement his agenda.
Key Facts
- Kast won 58.16% vs. Jara's 41.84% in his third presidential attempt
- Pledged to deport approximately 330,000 undocumented migrants before March 11 inauguration
- Plans include Trump-inspired border walls, detention centers, and electric fences on Peru-Bolivia frontier
- Chile's migrant population doubled over past decade, with 700,000 Venezuelans arriving
- Promises $6 billion spending cuts over 18 months without eliminating social benefits
- Victory part of regional right-wing trend including Argentina, Ecuador, and Bolivia