Ultra-Conservative Former Lawmaker José Antonio Kast Chosen as Chile New Leader.

In a decisive second-round vote, far-right politician José Antonio Kast has won the top job in Chile.

A Commanding Win

After more than 99% of ballots counted, Kast won 58.17% of the ballots, beating leftist contender Jeannette Jara, who earned 41.83%.

This marks Kast's third presidency, having earlier been beaten by the incumbent president, Gabriel Boric, in the 2021 runoff.

Platform Built On Security and Migration

Noted for his strong Catholic views and admiration for the period of dictator Augusto Pinochet, Kast's platform was mostly built on promises to combat growing violence and radically reduce migration.

He frequently cited immigrants, notably the around 330,000 undocumented individuals in Chile, for crime rates. During the campaign, he gave an ultimatum for them to depart before the March 11 handover or face removal.

His plans featured controversial measures such as erecting camps, barriers, electric fences, and increasing the military presence on the northern frontier.

Part of a Broader Wave

Numerous commentators see Kast's victory as fitting into a broader right-wing trend in the region, coming after this year's electoral wins in nations like Ecuador, Bolivia, and Argentina.

Nevertheless, other analysts further frame it as a continuation of the predictable swing of power between left-wing and right-wing leadership since Chile's establishment of democracy in 1990.

Ruling Lacking a Clear Mandate

In spite of his sweeping popular vote victory, Kast is not expected to have an absolute majority in Congress, neither in the Chamber of Deputies nor the Senate, even if various rightwing parties are grouped together.

This political landscape might complicate his policy goals, such as a pledge to slash public spending by a significant sum within a year and a half—a measure for which he has not provided concrete steps.

"There are numerous aspects about how a Kast government will be that are uncertain because he has not explained how he will implement them," noted a political expert.

The analyst continued, "In terms of the economy, it is highly probable we will see spending cuts common for the right-wing. But the area with considerably less uncertainty is on public safety, because that has been his workhorse across the race."