Overview
- José Antonio Kast was sworn in at the Congress in Valparaíso, succeeding Gabriel Boric, and pledged an “emergency government” focused on order, security and economic growth.
- Kast signed six initial decrees, including the Plan Escudo Fronterizo directing Defense and Interior to propose legal changes within 90 days and expanding military control and surveillance at northern border crossings.
- The new 24-member cabinet tilts sharply right, naming Fernando Barros to Justice and Human Rights, Fernando Rabat to Defense and evangelical abortion opponent Judith Marín to lead the Women and Gender Equality ministry.
- Chile’s new leader has moved closer to the global right, attending President Donald Trump’s Shield of the Americas summit; his inauguration drew Argentina’s Javier Milei and Ecuador’s Daniel Noboa, while Brazil’s Lula da Silva stayed away after Flávio Bolsonaro was invited.
- Large demonstrations, including Women’s Day marches, and criticism from rights advocates highlight polarization as the government targets irregular migration in a country with roughly two million migrants, about 300,000 without legal status.