🔗 Share this article Hardline Former Congressman J.A. Kast Voted In as Chile New Leader. After a definitive final ballot, hardline politician José Antonio Kast has clinched the presidential office in Chile. A Commanding Win With over 99% of polling stations reporting, Kast garnered 58.17% of the ballots, beating leftist former minister Jeannette Jara, who obtained 41.83%. This represents Kast's third attempt at the presidency, having in the past been defeated by the current president, Gabriel Boric, in the 2021 final vote. Campaign Built On Security and Immigration Recognized for his unwavering socially conservative views and praise for the era of former leader Augusto Pinochet, Kast's campaign was mostly centered on promises to address growing violence and radically restrict immigration. He consistently blamed immigrants, notably the around 330,000 undocumented individuals in Chile, for crime rates. During the election cycle, he issued an final demand for them to exit before the March 11 handover or face removal. His proposals envisioned U.S.-style measures such as constructing camps, barriers, security fences, and strengthening the armed forces presence on the northernmost frontier. Part of a Continental Wave Many observers see Kast's win as aligning with a wider right-wing wave in the region, similar to recent electoral outcomes in countries like Ecuador, Bolivia, and Argentina. Yet, other analysts further view it as a extension of the established rotation of power between left and right-wing leadership since Chile's transition to democracy in 1990. Leading Lacking a Strong Mandate In spite of his sweeping popular vote victory, Kast does not hold an clear majority in parliament, not in the Chamber of Deputies or the Senate, even when various conservative parties are counted together. This legislative reality might complicate his plans, including a promise to slash public spending by billions within a year and a half—a measure for which he has yet to detailed a clear explanation. "We have several things about how a Kast administration will be that we don't know because he has not detailed how he will achieve them," commented a political analyst. The professor stated, "Regarding the economy, it is almost certain we will see spending cuts common for the right. However where there is much less ambiguity is on law and order, because that has been his central theme during the race."