🔗 Share this article Ultra-Conservative Former Congressman José Antonio Kast Voted In as Chile New President. Following a conclusive second-round vote, ultra-conservative politician José Antonio Kast has won the presidency in Chile. A Commanding Victory After over 99% of polling stations reporting, Kast garnered 58.17% of the vote, overcoming leftist candidate Jeannette Jara, who earned 41.83%. This signifies Kast's third bid for the presidency, having earlier been lost by the sitting president, Gabriel Boric, in the 2021 final vote. Agenda Focused On Security and Migration Noted for his unwavering socially conservative views and praise for the rule of former leader Augusto Pinochet, Kast's platform was mostly focused on promises to combat growing insecurity and radically reduce immigration. He frequently pointed to foreigners, particularly the roughly 330,000 illegal individuals in Chile, for public safety problems. Throughout the election cycle, he delivered an stern warning for them to exit before the inauguration or face removal. His proposals featured Trump-inspired measures such as building holding facilities, barriers, electric fences, and bolstering the army presence on the northern border. Amid a Broader Trend Several observers see Kast's success as part of a broader rightward trend in the region, following recent electoral results in countries like Ecuador, Bolivia, and Argentina. Nevertheless, other pundits further frame it as a extension of the established swing of power between left and right leadership since Chile's transition to democracy in 1990. Leading Without a Solid Majority In spite of his clear popular vote triumph, Kast does not have an clear majority in the legislature, not in the Chamber of Deputies or the Senate, even when all right-leaning parties are grouped together. This political reality might hinder his plans, such as a vow to slash public spending by $6 billion within 18 months—a proposal for which he has not offered concrete steps. "There are several questions about what a Kast presidency will look like that we don't know because he has not explained how he will achieve them," noted a political analyst. The professor added, "On economic policy, it is almost certain we will see spending cuts common for the right-wing. However where there is far less uncertainty is on law and order, because that has been his workhorse during the campaign."