Chile: Far-Right Kast Wins Presidential Runoff
By Kieran Burke & Kalika Mehta (DW)
HAVANA TIMES – Jeannette Jara of the ruling leftist coalition conceded defeat, saying “democracy spoke loud and clear.” Security fears and migration concerns have shaped the tense runoff election.
Republican Party candidate Jose Antonio Kast has won Chile’s presidential runoff election, results showed with most of the votes counted.
Contender Jeannette Jara, a member of the Communist Party and former labor minister, conceded defeat to her hard-right rival and said that “democracy spoke loud and clear.” She went on to say in a post on social media that she had spoken to Kast to wish him well.
Kast wins more than 58% of the vote
With more than 99% of ballots counted, Kast garnered 58.2% of the vote, while Jara managed 41.8%.
Leading up to the vote, opinion polls showed Kast leading Jara by a wide margin, with some indicating a lead of more than 10 percentage points.
Kast’s campaign spokesman, Arturo Squella, declared victory from the party headquarters in the capital of Santiago.
“We are very proud of the work we’ve done,” he told reporters. “We feel very responsible for this tremendous challenge of taking charge of the crises that Chile is going through.”
For the first time in over a decade, voting has been made compulsory, with around 15.8 million people eligible to cast ballots. Initial results are expected in the early hours of Monday and the election winner will take office in March 2026.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio congratulated Kast on his election win in a social media post.
“Congratulations to Chilean President-Elec @JoseAntonioKast on his victory. The United States looks forward to partnering with his administration to strengthen regional security and revitalize our trade relationship,” Rubio said.
What are the most pressing issues for Chilean voters?
Sunday’s vote marked Kast’s third bid for the presidency, with the 59-year-old having campaigned on a tough-on-crime and anti-migrant platform.
He pledged to seek unity in what he described as a highly polarized country, saying the winner “will have to be the president of all Chileans.”
Once viewed as one of the safest and most prosperous countries in Latin America, Chile has been disrupted in recent years by the Covid-19 pandemic, violent social protests and an increase in organized crime.
Polls show more than 60% of Chileans consider security the country’s most pressing issue, more so than concerns over the economy, healthcare or education.
Although Chile remains one of the safest countries in Latin America, there has been a rise in crime in certain areas over the past decade, with authorities laying the blame on gangs linked to Venezuela, Peru, Colombia and Ecuador.
What has Kast said about immigration?
Migration featured equally prominently throughout campaigning, with migrants now accounting for roughly 10% of Chile’s population.
Many have arrived fleeing violence and poverty elsewhere in South America, particularly from Venezuela.
Kast has pledged to secure Chile’s borders and deport any migrants who do not hold legal status, while building new prisons.
He opposes abortion without exception and has voiced support for former military ruler Augusto Pinochet, who governed Chile from 1973 to 1990.
Some critics have said they worry Kast’s positions could signal a return to authoritarian practices.
He is seen by some voters as similar to Pinochet, who left power after losing a 1990 referendum following 17 years of dictatorship marked by killings, disappearances and widespread torture.
Leftist challenger had led first round
Meanwhile, Jara had led the first round of voting held on November 16, when she won nearly 27% of the vote.
Kast finished second with 24%, but since last month’s vote has consolidated support from other right-wing candidates.
Jara’s candidacy has been tied to the unpopular government of outgoing President Gabriel Boric, whose own four-year term has struggled as many of his efforts to reform the Pinochet-era constitution proved unsuccessful.
Boric, who is constitutionally barred from re-election, cast his vote in Punta Arenas, calling democracy “the best instrument” for resolving differences among Chileans.