In the second round of Chile’s presidential election, ultraconservative candidate José Antonio Kast won a decisive victory. According to the
Kast will become Chile’s first ultraconservative president in more than 35 years. His victory symbolizes the end of a long period during which the political agenda was shaped by center-left and progressive priorities: social redistribution policies, the expansion of minority rights, and experimental institutional reforms. In recent years, the country has faced rising crime, a weakening economy, inflation, and a growing sense that the state is losing its ability to perform its basic functions.
Kast built his campaign around the themes of order and security. He opposes illegal immigration, promises deportations, primarily of Venezuelan migrants, an expansion of police and military powers, and stricter border control. In his rhetoric, there is little mention of social experimentation or large-scale reforms. The emphasis is placed on security, discipline, and governability.
Kast also does not hide his attitude toward the era of Augusto Pinochet. He refers to that period as a time of order and economic discipline, emphasizing stability rather than repression.
