SANTIAGO, Chile — Chile has turned sharply to the right after José Antonio Kast, a hardline conservative, won the presidential runoff in a campaign dominated by fears over crime, migration and economic unease.
With over 99% of ballots counted, Kast, leader of the Republican Party, secured about 58% of the vote. His rival, Communist Party candidate Jeannette Jara, received just over 41% and conceded, saying democracy had spoken. Outgoing President Gabriel Boric phoned Kast to congratulate him.
As results were confirmed, honking cars and crowds waving Chilean flags filled one of Santiago’s wealthiest districts, eager for the president-elect’s remarks. “We will work relentlessly to restore peace, order, growth, and hope,” Kast said, pledging to be “the president of all Chileans.” He vowed Chile would be “free from crime again, free from anguish, free from fear.”
Kast, 59, a devout Catholic and father of nine, built his campaign almost entirely on public security and immigration, warning of a national “crisis” and promising an “emergency” government. His message resonated amid a recent surge in violent crime and mounting public concern about undocumented migration. He has said undocumented migrants must leave by the day he takes office, March 11, 2026, or face deportation or prosecution.
A staunch admirer of former dictator Augusto Pinochet, Kast will be the first Chilean president since the 1990 return to democracy to openly praise the military regime. His father, Michael Kast, was a member of the Nazi Party who served in the German army during World War II before emigrating to Chile in 1950.
Kast’s victory ends years of left-of-center rule and mirrors a regional trend where security and migration are decisive electoral issues. This year Bolivia voted out long-ruling socialists; Argentina’s La Libertad Avanza strengthened President Javier Milei’s position in Congress; and Ecuador re-elected center-right Daniel Noboa. Milei called Kast a friend and said the result proved Latin America is casting off “the oppressive shackles of 21st-century socialism.” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio congratulated Kast on social media and said Washington looks forward to partnering to strengthen regional security.