Hardline Former Lawmaker José Antonio Kast Voted In as Chile New Leader.

In a decisive final ballot, hardline figure José Antonio Kast has won the presidency in Chile.

A Clear-Cut Win

With over 99% of votes tallied, Kast secured 58.17% of the ballots, defeating leftist former minister Jeannette Jara, who earned 41.83%.

This marks Kast's third attempt at the presidency, having in the past been beaten by the current president, Gabriel Boric, in the 2021 second round.

Agenda Built On Law and Order and Migration

Known for his unwavering socially conservative views and praise for the era of former leader Augusto Pinochet, Kast's campaign was largely focused on promises to address increasing violence and radically curb immigration.

He consistently blamed migrants, particularly the around 330,000 illegal individuals in Chile, for crime rates. During the campaign, he issued an ultimatum for them to depart before the inauguration or face deportation.

His plans included U.S.-style measures such as building holding facilities, barriers, security fences, and increasing the armed forces presence on the northern border.

Within a Continental Shift

Numerous analysts interpret Kast's success as part of a broader right-wing shift in South America, following this year's electoral results in countries like Ecuador, Bolivia, and Argentina.

However, other experts also view it as a continuation of the established rotation of power between left-wing and right leadership since Chile's return to democracy in 1990.

Ruling Lacking a Strong Mandate

Despite his clear popular vote triumph, Kast does not hold an absolute majority in parliament, not in the lower house nor the Senate, even when all conservative parties are grouped together.

This legislative landscape might hinder his agenda, including a promise to slash public spending by a significant sum within a year and a half—a plan for which he has not detailed a clear explanation.

"There are many questions about how a Kast administration will be that remain unclear because he has not explained how he will do them," noted a political science professor.

The professor stated, "Regarding economic policy, it is very likely we will see adjustment measures common for the right-wing. But the area with considerably less uncertainty is on security policy, because that has been his central theme across the campaign."