SANTIAGO, Chile —Chile has taken a decisive turn to the right after José Antonio Kast, a hardline conservative, won the country's presidential runoff, following a campaign dominated by fears over crime, migration and economic uncertainty.
With over 95% of ballots counted, Kast, the leader of the Republican Party, secured roughly 58% of the vote.
His rival, Communist Party candidate Jeannette Jara, who received just over 41% of the vote, called to concede defeat and wrote on social media, "Democracy spoke loud and clear." Outgoing President Gabriel Boric also phoned Kast to congratulate him.
As results were confirmed, the streets erupted with honking car horns, and crowds waving Chilean flags packed one of Santiago's wealthiest districts, eager to hear the president-elect speak
Kast ran almost exclusively on public security and immigration, warning that Chile is in "crisis" and promising to form what he has called an "emergency" government. His message struck a chord in a country shaken by a recent surge in violent crime and growing unease over undocumented migration.
A staunch admirer of former dictator Augusto Pinochet, Kast will become the first president since Chile's return to democracy in 1990 to openly support the military regime. His father, Michael Kast, was a member of the Nazi Party who fought in the German army during World War II before emigrating to Chile in 1950.
Kast is set to take office March 11, 2026. He has pledged to give undocumented migrants until that date to leave the country, warning that those who remain would face deportation or prosecution.
His victory follows years of left-of-center rule and is expected to reshape Chile's political landscape, echoing a broader regional trend in which security and migration have emerged as decisive electoral issues across a number of countries in Latin America.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio tweeted his congratulations, saying Washington looks forward to "partnering with his administration to strengthen regional security."
Kast's election win was also welcomed by far-right libertarian President Javier Milei in neighboring Argentina, who declared his "friend" Kast's victory evidence that Latin America would cast off the "oppressive shackles of 21st century socialism."
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