Chile Has Elected Its Most Far-Right And Ultra-Conservative Leader Since Its Military Dictatorship
José Antonio Kast has held a firm stance against abortion, euthanasia and same-sex marriage.
Chile has elected far-right ultra-conservative politician José Antonio Kast as president, marking the country’s first far-right leader to take power through democratic elections since the end of its military dictatorship.
Chile’s last far-right ruler, Augusto Pinochet, came to power after he orchestrated a military coup to overthrow democratically elected president Salvador Allende, ushering a nearly 20-year dictatorship marked by widespread human rights abuses.
Kast, a 59-year-old conservative lawyer, is the son of a former Nazi soldier who migrated to Chile after World War II, although he has claimed his father was a conscripted Nazi soldier.
He has previously expressed support for Pinochet’s military dictatorship, voting to extend it during the 1988 referendum and even saying, "if [Pinochet] were alive, he would vote for me."
During his presidential campaign in 2017, Kast held a firm stance against abortion, euthanasia and same-sex marriage.
He also proposed to eliminate the ministry of women and gender equality despite the country’s high rates of femicide and gender inequality.
During this year’s presidential campaign — his third attempt at presidency — Kast adopted a more moderate tone, focusing on security, immigration and economic recovery.
With rising violence in the country, even though the country remains one of the safest in Latin America, Kast has blamed it on the rise of migrants despite studies showing that migrants commit fewer crimes on average, according to BBC.
Similar to US President Donald Trump, he promised to take a tougher stance on migration, promising a border wall and mass deportations of undocumented migrants, particularly Venezuelan migrants.
Kast gave undocumented migrants in the country, most of them Venezuelan, an ultimatum to leave before the next president takes office or be expelled “with only the clothes on their backs,” according to the Guardian.
Given Chile’s divided Congress, Kast could face opposition on some of his most radical proposals, according to Reuters.
On Sunday, Dec. 14, Kast won the second-round runoff with 58.16% of the votes, beating left-wing candidate Jeannette Jara, who obtained 41.84%.
His victory follows a shift to far-right and conservative movements across Latin America.
Following the results, Mexico’s leftist first woman president Claudia Sheinbaum congratulated Kast, while calling on progressive movements to reflect on the outcome.
“It was the people of Chile who chose who they want to govern them. I believe this is a moment for reflection for progressive movements in Latin America and why these circumstances arise,” Sheinbaum said.
Meanwhile, Colombia’s leftist president Gustavo Petro said he would “never shake hands with a Nazi, nor with the son of a Nazi”.
Trump and far-right Argentine president Javier Milei congratulated Kast on his win.
Kast is set to take office on March 11, 2026.
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