SANTIAGO, Chile: On Sunday, arch-conservative Jose Antonio Kast defeated his leftist runoff opponent handily to become Chile’s most right-wing president in 35 years of democracy. With over 58% of the vote, Kast had a commanding advantage over communist Jeannette Jara, who led a large leftist coalition. During his campaign, Kast pledged to shut the northern border, remove over 300,000 immigrants, take a “firm hand” on near-record crime rates, and revive the faltering economy. He said to thousands of ecstatic supporters on Sunday night that “Chile wanted change,” promising to “restore respect for the law,” govern for all Chileans, and pay attention to criticism.
The Covid-19 pandemic, violent social uprisings, and an influx of international organized crime groups severely damaged Chile, which was once one of the safest nations in the Americas. Supporters of Kast, who has frequently praised Augusto Pinochet’s brutal dictatorship, shouted, waved flags, and beeped automobile horns in Santiago. Gina Mello, a retiree, expressed her expectation that Kast would “deploy the military” to the streets right now, “lock up all the drug traffickers, and deport anyone who came here to commit crimes.” In addition to clasping images of the late ruler, supporters screamed “Pinochet! Pinochet!” and sang the national hymn. Another Kast voter arrived dressed as Donald Trump of the United States. One individual was arrested, according to police, during a little anti-Kast protest in the capital.
After two unsuccessful efforts at the presidency, Kast, a 59-year-old father of nine, felt fortunate for the third time. After winning elections in Argentina, Bolivia, Honduras, El Salvador, and Ecuador, it is the most recent triumph for the right in Latin America. Jara contacted Kast to concede as soon as the votes closed and the extent of the victory became apparent, claiming that voters had spoken “loud and clear.” Among those who extended congratulations were Javier Milei of Argentina and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Extreme actions On many social issues, notably abortion, which he opposes even in rape cases, Kast is to the right of the majority of Chileans.
Despite reservations, a large number of Chileans who were tired of the country’s high crime rate and sluggish progress during four years of communist leadership declared they would vote for change. According to surveys, almost 60% of Chileans said that security was the nation’s biggest problem. Furthermore, although data indicates that violent crime has increased over the past ten years due to gangs from Venezuela, Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador, concerns about crime have increased even more quickly. Kast would need to swiftly devise a plan to secure the border, bolster the police, manage immigration, and put an end to an Indigenous insurrection in the south, according to security analyst and former naval officer Richard Kouyoumdjian.
“What he’s said about security is very basic,” Kouyoumdjian told AFP. “On Facebook or Twitter, it’s policy in 200 characters.” “Out of uniform Pinochet” Because of his extreme views, there are concerns that Kast would attempt to change the history of a regime that imprisoned and tortured tens of thousands of people. Cecilia Mora, a 71-year-old retiree, expressed her fear, saying, “I think we are going to have a lot of repression.” She remarked, “I see him as a Pinochet out of uniform.” After Chileans rejected a referendum attempt to prolong his 17-year reign, Pinochet resigned from office in 1990. Kast ran for Pinochet at the time.
Questions have also been raised about Kast’s family history. His German-born father was a soldier in World War II and a member of Adolf Hitler’s Nazi party, according to media investigations. Kast maintains that his father did not support the Nazis and was a forced conscript. The incumbent blues Jara’s tenure as labor minister under departing communist President Gabriel Boric turned out to be a liability. Repeatedly unsuccessful attempts to amend the Pinochet-era constitution hamstrung Boric’s term. Every presidential election since 2010 has seen Chileans switch between left- and right-wing administrations. In March, Kast will assume office.
