Hardline Conservative Kast Elected President of Chile... Right-Wing Returns to Power After Four Years

"The Trump of Chile" Calls for Expulsion of Immigrants
Latin American Governments Shift Further to the Right

In Chile, one of South Korea's top five trading partners, hardline conservative Republican Party candidate Jose Antonio Kast has been elected president, defeating Communist Party candidate Jeannette Jara, who was backed by the left-wing ruling party.

According to the Chilean Electoral Service (Servicio Electoral de Chile, SERVEL) on December 14 (local time), with 57.44% of the votes counted, Kast had secured 59.16% of the vote, while Jara had 40.84%.

Jara acknowledged the results, writing on her X account (formerly Twitter), "I spoke with President-elect Kast by phone and congratulated him."

Kast, the president-elect, advanced to the runoff as the second-place candidate in the first round of voting on November 16. He then succeeded in consolidating conservative support, leading to a transfer of power for the first time in four years since former President Sebastian Pinera (1949-2024), who was known for his center-right orientation.

Kast, a prominent politician and former lawyer, clinched the presidency on his third attempt, having previously run in 2017 and 2021. He served four consecutive terms in the lower house from 2002 to 2018.

His father was a member of the German Nazi Party, and his brother served as a minister under the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet (1915-2006) in Chile.

During his campaign, President-elect Kast pledged to expel illegal immigrants. His rhetoric and political style have often been compared to those of former U.S. President Donald Trump, earning him the nickname "the Trump of Chile."

Despite widespread social opposition to military dictatorship, he has advocated for expanding the military's authority to combat organized crime. He is also expected to pursue policies such as constructing large-scale prisons and incarcerating large numbers of gang members, similar to measures introduced by the Nayib Bukele administration in El Salvador that have drawn attention from neighboring countries.

However, TV Chilevision pointed out that in order to realize his campaign promises, President-elect Kast will likely need to improve relations with moderate right-wing forces in parliament. The Republican Party failed to secure a majority in last month's general election.

Meanwhile, President-elect Kast will be inaugurated on March 11 next year. The presidential term in Chile is four years. While consecutive terms are not allowed, non-consecutive re-election is permitted.