In a groundbreaking political shift, Chile elected José Antonio Kast, a staunchly conservative former lawmaker, as president in a resounding victory on Sunday. Kast, known for his emphasis on restoring public order and tightening immigration controls, secured 58% of the vote, marking a significant change in the nation’s political landscape.

With a platform heavily focused on security and immigration, Kast promises what he calls the most robust public-order campaign in recent memory. His policies are aimed at addressing what he views as urgent issues of security and border control.

At 59, Kast is a seasoned politician and father of nine, hailing from a German immigrant family in Santiago. He has spent considerable time in Chile’s congress and made previous presidential bids in 2017 and 2021, finally achieving victory in this election. His longstanding political career and well-established conservative stance made him a recognizable figure to the electorate, as he presented his campaign as a call for comprehensive security reforms.

Drawing parallels to former U.S. President Donald Trump, Kast has vowed to implement mass deportations of undocumented immigrants, bolster policing, and deploy the military to tackle drug trafficking and organized crime. He emphasizes that the increase in homicides and cartel-related activities necessitates drastic actions, including setting deadlines for undocumented migrants to exit the country or face forced deportation.

Kast’s success mirrors a growing regional pattern where voters are increasingly favoring candidates who prioritize crime reduction over ideological shifts.

Chile elected rightwing leader José Kast as president.  (Juan Gonzalez/Reuters)

Kast defeated left-wing candidate Jeannette Jara, a former labor minister who campaigned on expanding social programs, strengthening workers’ rights and raising taxes on high earners to pay for new public benefits. Jara also backed a more lenient immigration policy and emphasized protections for women and LGBTQ Chileans — a clear contrast to Kast’s security-first agenda.

“Here, no individual won, no party won — Chile won, and hope won,” Kast said in a victory speech. “The hope of living without fear. That fear that torments families.” 

He added: “When we tell an irregular migrant that they are breaking the law and must leave our country if they ever want the chance to return, we mean it … We must show great firmness against crime, organised crime, impunity and disorder.”

Kast had predicted his own victory on Chilean radio after Trump won the U.S. election in 2024. 

“We are going to win, too,” he said at the time. 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio was quick to praise Kast’s win. 

“Under his leadership, we are confident Chile will advance shared priorities to include strengthening public security, ending illegal immigration and revitalizing our commercial relationship,” he said. 

Chile, long considered one of Latin America’s safest countries, has seen a sharp rise in violent crime in the past several years, driven in part by the spread of transnational criminal groups and a surge in drug trafficking. Homicide rates have climbed to their highest levels in decades, and police say organizations such as Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua have expanded extortion, kidnapping and narcotics operations inside the country. 

The spike in violence has unsettled a population accustomed to relative stability and has turned public security into Chile’s top political issue. 

Although he has long held staunchly conservative positions on abortion, gender policy and same-sex marriage, Kast downplayed those issues during the campaign as he sought to broaden his appeal. Instead, he emphasized structural changes he says are necessary to confront the security crisis, including shrinking parts of the bureaucracy, tightening Chile’s asylum system and giving the presidency greater authority to respond to organized crime.

Kast also intends to steer Chile toward a more market-oriented economic model, with tax cuts, deregulation and expanded mining development — particularly in lithium and copper, two of the country’s most important exports. He has signaled interest in strengthening ties with the United States and other Western partners, even as China remains Chile’s largest trading partner and a major buyer of its mineral output.

President-elect Kast has promised to crack down on crime and immigration.  (Pablo Sanhueza/Reuters)

Chile’s rightward turn follows a similar shift in neighboring Argentina, which elected libertarian firebrand Javier Milei, right, on a platform of radical economic reform and political disruption. (Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Chile’s rightward turn follows a similar shift in neighboring Argentina, which elected libertarian firebrand Javier Milei on a platform of radical economic reform and political disruption. 

But the two leaders represent distinct strains of the right: Milei is an anti-establishment libertarian who thrives on theatrical confrontation and sweeping proposals to remake Argentina’s economy, while Kast is a more traditional conservative focused on order, border enforcement and institutional authority. Their wins stem from similar voter frustrations, but they offer sharply different governing styles.

Kast is also one of South America’s most outspoken critics of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, frequently citing Venezuela’s economic collapse and mass migration as warnings for Chile. He has accused Maduro of allowing criminal networks to flourish and has linked Venezuela’s crisis directly to Chile’s migration and security challenges.

His party’s lack of a congressional majority could slow or dilute parts of his agenda, but Kast’s decisive margin suggests Chilean voters are prepared to test his hard-edged security strategy after years of political gridlock and rising public anxiety.