Jose Antonio Kast Voted As Chile’s President.

Santiago, Chile; December 2025: Far-right candidate Jose Antonio Kast has won a run-off election to become Chile’s 38th president, ousting the centre-left government currently in power. After all the ballots were counted on Sunday, 14th December 2025, Kast retained majority with 58% votes, defeating former Labour Minister Jeannette Jara, a Communist Party politician who represented the governing centre-left coalition.

On her X handle, Jeannette Jara has quoted,

“Democracy has spoken loud and clear. I have just spoken with President-elect [Kast] to wish him success for the good of Chile. To those who supported us and were inspired by our candidacy, rest assured that we will continue working to build a better life in our country. Together and standing strong, as we always have”.

The result marks the latest victory for the far right in Latin America, which has seen a streak of right-wing leaders once considered political outsiders rise to power in countries like Argentina and Ecuador.

The tally also marks a significant comeback for Kast himself, the 59 years old leader of the Republican Party. The 2025 election marks his third attempt to win the presidency, which eventually turned out his first successful bid.

During the last election, in 2021, he was trounced by outgoing President Gabriel Boric, who won by nearly a 10 point margin. But Boric, a former student leader who became Chile’s youngest president, had seen his popularity slump to about 30% by the end of his four years term. He was also ineligible to run for a second term under Chilean law.

When the public opinion polls, depicted frustrations with recent spikes in crime and immigration, alongside sluggish Chilean economy, Kast, catapulted his campaign on the promise of change. He said he would address voter concerns by carrying out crackdowns on crime and immigration, including through a campaign of mass deportation, similar to what United States President Donald Trump has done in North America.

His security platform, “Implacable Plan” — also proposes stiffer mandatory minimum sentencing, incarcerating more criminals in maximum security facilities, and putting cartel leaders in “total isolation” to cut them off from any communication with the outside world. Today, while criminals and drug traffickers walk freely through the streets, committing crimes and intimidating people, honest Chileans are locked in their homes, paralysed by fear, Kast have mentioned in his security plan. Kast has also taken a hard right stance towards social and health issues, including abortion, which he opposes even in cases of rape.

But those hardline policies earned Kast criticism on the campaign trail. Critics have also seized upon his own sympathetic comments about Chile’s former dictator, military leader Augusto Pinochet.

In 1973, Pinochet oversaw a right-wing military coup that ousted the democratically elected leader, Salvador Allende. He proceeded to rule the country until 1990. His government became known for its widespread human rights abuses and brutal oppression of political dissent, with thousands executed and tens of thousands tortured.

While Kast has rejected the label “far right”, he has repeatedly defended Pinochet’s government. Of Pinochet, Kast famously quipped, “If he were alive, he would vote for me”.

Meanwhile, opponents have also sought to draw attention to Kast’s family ties: His father, Michael Martin Kast, was born in Germany and had been a member of the Nazi Party. The elder Kast immigrated to Chile in 1950.

In the wake of Kast’s election victory, right-wing leaders from across the Americas offered their congratulations in statements on social media.

“Congratulations to Chilean President-Elect Jose Antonio Kast on his victory. The United States looks forward to partnering with his administration to strengthen regional security and revitalize our trade relationship”, Trump’s Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote.

Argentina’s libertarian leader Javier Milei likewise chimed in, hailing it as a major win for his conservative political movement.

“FREEDOM IS ADVANCING”, Milei wrote, echoing his own campaign rallying cry. Enormous joy at the overwhelming victory of my friend Jose Antonio Kast in the Chilean presidential elections! One more step for our region in defence of life, liberty, and private property. I am sure that we will work together so that America embraces the ideas of freedom and we can free ourselves from the oppressive yoke of 21st-century socialism…!!!”

Ecuador’s right-wing President Daniel Noboa, meanwhile, said that “a new era is beginning for Chile and for the region”.

This year’s presidential race was the first time since 2012 that voting had been compulsory in the country. There are approximately 15.7 million eligible voters in the South American country. Kast originally came in second place during the first round of voting on November 16. He scored about 23.9% of the vote, compared with Jara’s 26.8%. But polls had widely favoured him to win in the run-off. While Chile’s left wing held a primary in June and coalesced around its victor, Jara, right-wing parties did not hold a primary to choose a coalition nominee.

The result was a fractured right in the first round of voting. But in the final contest, Kast was able to sweep up votes that had previously gone to his right-leaning adversaries, earning him a comfortable win. Still, Kast faces a divided National Congress, which is expected to blunt some of his more hardline proposals. Kast will be sworn in on March 11th.

Team Maverick.