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Kast Wins Chile Presidency With About 59% in Runoff

A security-first agenda now faces a fragmented Congress likely to test his mandate.

Overview

  • Official results from Servel show José Antonio Kast defeating Jeannette Jara by roughly 59% to 41%, and Jara has conceded.
  • Public concern over violent crime and irregular migration dominated voter priorities under compulsory voting with nearly 16 million eligible voters.
  • Kast pledges mass deportations, fortified northern borders with walls and trenches, an ICE-style force to detain and expel migrants, and $6 billion in spending cuts.
  • Right-wing parties lack an absolute majority, with an evenly split Senate and a fragmented lower house expected to constrain his most radical proposals.
  • Kast is set to take office on March 11, as markets price in more market-friendly policies and the result adds to a regional shift toward tough law-and-order politics.