Chilean voters delivered a resounding rejection of leftist chaos by electing ultraconservative José Antonio Kast, a Pinochet admirer, in a landslide—mirroring the global pushback against failed socialist policies that President Trump is championing worldwide.
Story Highlights
- Kast won 58.2% in the December 14, 2025 runoff, securing a record 7.2 million votes and sweeping all regions against Communist Jeannette Jara’s 41.8%.
- First democratic victory for a Pinochet supporter since 1990, signaling South America’s right-wing surge amid crime, migration, and economic failures.
- Backlash against Gabriel Boric’s left-wing government, which saw approval plummet to 28% due to stagnation and public safety breakdowns.
- Kast pledges tough anti-crime measures, mass deportations, border security, and maximum-security prisons to restore order.
Election Results Mark Historic Right-Wing Victory
José Antonio Kast of the Republican Party defeated Jeannette Jara of the Communist Party in Chile’s presidential runoff on December 14, 2025. Kast captured 58.2% of the vote, totaling 7.2 million ballots—a record under compulsory voting reintroduced in 2022. Jara received 41.8%. Kast swept every region, including left-leaning strongholds in Santiago. This outcome represents the first time a Pinochet admirer has won the presidency democratically since the dictatorship ended in 1990.
Backlash Against Boric’s Failed Leftist Policies
Gabriel Boric’s left-wing administration from 2022 to 2026 promised social reforms but delivered economic stagnation, legislative gridlock, and surging crime. Approval ratings fell to 28% by mid-2023. Boric’s feminist and equity initiatives alienated moderates. The right-wing Republican Party dominated 2023 Constitutional Council elections, rejecting a progressive constitution. Voters in the November 16 first-round gave right-leaning candidates about 70% collectively, setting up Kast’s triumph. Irregular migration from northern borders and economic hardship fueled the shift.
Kast’s Platform Targets Crime and Immigration
The 59-year-old president-elect pledged aggressive anti-crime actions, including ditches along borders with Peru and Bolivia, mass deportations of irregular migrants, and maximum-security prisons. Kast declared victory in Santiago’s Las Condes before supporters waving Pinochet flags, celebrating escape from communism. He invoked God, urged unity as president of all Chileans, and resigned from the Republican Party to build broader coalitions. Right-wing first-round candidates Evelyn Matthei and Johannes Kaiser endorsed him, unifying the ChGyU coalition of National Renewal, Evópoli, and Democrats.
Outgoing President Boric congratulated Kast despite his administration’s failures boosting the right-wing wave. Jara’s center-left focus on pensions, utilities, and housing represented Boric-era spending continuity, but fragmentation alienated centrists with her Communist leadership.
Implications for Law, Order, and Regional Trends
Kast assumes office in March 2026 amid a Congress renewed with 155 Chamber seats and 23 Senate seats, implying right-leaning dominance. Short-term policies prioritize law-and-order: deportations, border security, and prisons. His party resignation may ease coalition-building in a divided legislature. Long-term, the win deepens South America’s far-right trend, akin to Argentina, while risking Pinochet legacy debates. Migrants face removal; urban poor see crime focus over social spending. Political scientist Cristóbal Rovira Kaltwasser notes the 58% reflects anti-crime lesser-evil voting, not full far-right embrace. Observers highlight pragmatic security demands over ideology.
Pinochet’s 1973-1990 rule, supported by Kast’s family, brought economic liberalization amid human rights controversies. Recent crime surges and anti-left sentiment validate voters’ demand for strong leadership, much like Americans rejected Biden-era overspending and open borders before Trump’s 2025 return.
Sources:
Chile’s Presidential Election Confirms South America’s Far-Right Turn – Le Monde
2025 Chilean general election – Wikipedia
