Far-right candidate Jose Antonio Kast elected Chile’s new President

Santiago: Jose Antonio Kast, presidential candidate of the far-right Republican Party, won the Chilean presidential run-off election, becoming the country’s new president, said the electoral authorities on Sunday.

According to Chile’s Electoral Service, with 99.33 per cent of the votes counted in the run-off, Kast won 58.18 per cent, compared with 41.82 per cent for Jeannette Jara, candidate of Chile’s ruling left-wing coalition.

Jara conceded defeat to Kast and congratulated him on social media on Sunday. The current president, Gabriel Boric, also congratulated him on his victory, reports Xinhua news agency.

Following his win, Kast took to X and posted, “Thank you, Chile. Time to get to work!” sharing a photo from the victory event.

Kast, 59, will take office on March 11, 2026. During the election campaign, he focused his policy efforts on public security, advocating for building high-security prisons and increasing punishment for criminal groups to maintain law and order.

He also plans to deport illegal immigrants on a large scale and strengthen control over border areas.

The voting in the run-off began at 8 a.m. (local time) and ended at 6 p.m., with more than 15 million registered voters.

No candidate received more than 50 per cent of the votes in the first round on November 16, which meant Jara and Kast, who had won 26.85 per cent and 23.92 per cent of the votes, respectively, advanced to the run-off.

Under Chilean law, the two frontrunners had to go for a run-off if no one obtained over half of the votes in the first round of the election.

Chilean President Gabriel Boric had congratulated Jara and Kast in a televised speech.

“(On) December 14, Chile will once again elect the president of our country, who will direct the destinies of our homeland for the next four years,” Boric had announced, adding, “I am confident that dialogue, respect and affection for Chile will come first over any difference.”

IANS