Conservative José Antonio Kast was elected president of Chile on Sunday (14), confirming the favoritism he maintained throughout the second-round campaign. With this result, the right returns to occupy La Moneda Palace after four years of left-wing government under the leadership of Gabriel Boric.
With 83.43% of the polls counted, Kast reached 59.8% of the votes, against 40.2% for government candidate Jeannette Jara, from the Communist Party. The nearly 20 percentage point advantage led Chilean electoral authorities to consider the victory irreversible even during the count.
Recognition of Defeat and Conciliatory Speech
Still on Sunday (14), Jeannette Jara acknowledged the defeat and contacted the winner. “Democracy has spoken loudly and clearly. I just communicated with President-elect José Antonio Kast to wish him success for the good of Chile,” she stated. She then added: “To those who supported us, be assured that we will continue working to advance a better life in our homeland.”
Kast voted in the Paine commune, about 40 kilometers from Santiago, where he was greeted by supporters shouting “President!”. After leaving the polling station, he stated that he will seek to govern for all. “Whoever wins must be president of all Chileans,” he declared to the press.
Profile of the President-Elect
Lawyer, Catholic, and father of nine children, José Antonio Kast is 59 years old and ran for the Presidency for the third time. In previous campaigns, he was defeated, mainly due to his positions linked to social and moral issues. In this election, he adopted a different strategy, downplayed the centrality of those themes, incorporated women into the campaign, and broadened his appeal among voters.
Founder of the Republican Party, created five years ago, Kast chose to forge his own path, considering traditional right-wing parties too moderate. One of the authors of his biography, María José Hinojosa, stated that he is a “charmer with messianic daydreams” and sees himself as “Chile’s savior.”
Security, Immigration, and Congressional Base
Among the president-elect’s main promises are a tougher policy to combat crime and the deportation of around 340,000 irregular immigrants, mostly Venezuelans. However, Kast did not detail how he plans to implement these measures, which require substantial financial resources and agreements with other countries.
The new government will have a favorable Congress. The Republican Party expanded its presence in the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate and can count on support from other right-wing parties to advance its agenda starting from the inauguration, scheduled for March.
Crime as the Central Theme of the Campaign
During the campaign, Kast repeatedly stated that “the country is falling apart” and portrayed Chile as a nation weakened by violence and drug trafficking, a message that resonated with part of the electorate.
“What matters, more than social benefits, are jobs and security. So people can leave home without fear and return at night without worrying that something will happen to them on the street corners,” said Úrsula Villalobos, a 44-year-old housewife who declared her vote for Kast.
An Ipsos poll released in October showed that 63% of Chileans consider crime and violence their top concerns, followed by low economic growth. Experts note that the perception of insecurity exceeds actual rates, although violent crimes have risen over the past decade, particularly kidnappings and extortions.
Political Context and Challenges
Gabriel Boric’s government, which came to power after the massive 2019 protests, faced difficulties implementing structural reforms, especially the attempt to replace the Constitution inherited from Augusto Pinochet’s era. According to political scientist Robert Funk from the University of Chile, the failure in this process “completely undermined his political support.”
Kast declared support for the military regime and stated that if Pinochet were alive, he would vote for him. In the latest campaign, he avoided delving into this topic and reduced mentions of his opposition to abortion under any circumstances, issues seen as electorally sensitive.
Since 2010, Chile has seen constant alternation between right-wing and left-wing governments. For Funk, Kast’s victory is not a blank check. Many people, the professor assesses, voted for him “despite his support for Pinochet, not because of his support for Pinochet.”
Source: brasil247.com