“Hardline Conservative” Caste Elected as Chilean President; Conservatives Regain Power After Four Years

‘The Trump of Chile’ Advocates for Deportation of Immigrants
Central and South American Governments ‘Shift to Right’,
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, ‘In Chile, one of South Korea’s top 5 trading partners, Jose Antonio Kast, a candidate from the conservative Republican Party, has been elected president, defeating Jeannette Jara, a candidate from the Chilean Communist Party supported by the leftist ruling party.’,
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, ‘According to the Chilean Electoral Service (Servicio Electoral de Chile·SERVEL), with 57.44% of the votes counted, Kast received 59.16% of the votes, while Jara received 40.84%.’,
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, ‘Jara acknowledged the results, stating on her X account (formerly Twitter) that she congratulated President-elect Kast over a phone call.’,
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, ‘Kast entered the runoff election last month after finishing second in the first round on the 16th. He successfully rallied conservative supporters, leading to a change in government for the first time in four years since the term of the moderately conservative former President Sebastián Piñera (1949-2024).’,
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, ‘Kast, a lawyer and a prominent political figure, clinched the presidency on his third attempt after previous runs in 2017 and 2021. He served four consecutive terms in the lower house (2002-2018).’,
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, ‘His father was a member of the German Nazi Party, and his brother served as a minister under the Chilean military dictatorship led by Augusto Pinochet (1915-2006).’,
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, ‘During his campaign, President-elect Kast promised to deport illegal immigrants. His style and speeches resemble those of former U.S. President Donald Trump, earning him the nickname ‘The Trump of Chile.’’,
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, ‘Despite societal resentment against military dictatorship, he advocated for expanding military powers to combat organized crime. He is also expected to pursue policies similar to those of Nayib Bukele’s government in El Salvador, such as constructing large prisons and imprisoning gang members en masse, which have garnered attention from neighboring countries.’,
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, ‘However, in order to implement his pledges, improving relations with moderate right-wing forces within the parliament is necessary, according to TV Chilevisión, as the Chilean Republican Party did not secure a majority in the recent general elections.’,
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, ‘Meanwhile, President-elect Kast will be inaugurated on March 11 next year. The term for a Chilean president is four years and, although consecutive terms are not allowed, non-consecutive terms are possible.’,
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