By Ginika Igboke
Right-wing candidate José Antonio Kast has been elected president of Chile after winning a decisive runoff election against Communist Party contender Jeannette Jara, marking a sharp shift in the country’s political direction.
With more than 95 percent of ballots counted, Kast—of the Republican Party of Chile—secured over 58 percent of the vote, while Jara received about 41 percent. The result paves the way for Chile’s most conservative government in decades.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio congratulated Kast on his victory, signaling expectations of close cooperation between Washington and Santiago.
“The United States congratulates President-elect José Antonio Kast of Chile on his electoral victory,” Rubio said. “Under his leadership, we are confident Chile will advance shared priorities, including strengthening public security, ending illegal immigration, and revitalizing our commercial relationship.”
Rubio added that the United States looks forward to working closely with Kast’s administration to deepen bilateral ties and promote shared prosperity across the hemisphere.
Kast’s campaign platform echoed themes familiar to U.S. President Donald Trump’s political agenda, emphasizing tougher crime policies, large-scale deportations of illegal immigrants, and efforts to revive Chile’s struggling economy.
News of Kast’s victory sparked celebrations among supporters, with crowds chanting his name, waving flags, and honking car horns in cities across the country.
At party headquarters in Santiago, campaign spokesman Arturo Squella formally declared victory, praising the campaign’s efforts and acknowledging the challenges ahead.
“We are very proud of the work we’ve done,” Squella told reporters. “We feel very responsible for this tremendous challenge of taking charge of the crises that Chile is going through.”
In a post on X, Kast wrote, “The campaign is over. The politicians have stopped talking. This is the time for the citizenry—let it assert itself freely and boldly.”
Kast’s election represents a dramatic reversal from Chile’s 2021 presidential race, when leftist candidate Gabriel Boric defeated Kast in a runoff, winning nearly 56 percent of the vote.
A father of nine and a practicing Catholic, Kast comes from a family that immigrated to Chile in the early 1950s. His parents settled in Buin, where the family later founded a sausage manufacturing business that gained regional recognition and multiple local awards.
Following the confirmation of the results, Jara—who previously served as a popular labor secretary under President Boric—conceded defeat and offered her congratulations.
“Democracy spoke loud and clear,” Jara wrote on X. “I have just communicated with the president-elect to wish him success for the good of Chile.”
She added, “To those who supported us and believed in our candidacy, we will continue working to advance a better life in our homeland.”
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