The populist, right-wing candidate in Chile won the presidency over his left-wing communist opponent by a healthy margin on Sunday, marking another milestone in the continuing shift to the right in America’s back yard.
José Antonio Kast, who has expressed his approval for President Donald Trump multiple times, won the election Sunday night with 58% of the vote, beating communist challenger Jeanette Jara decisively. Kast joins a growing list of right-wing candidates that have won in South America, signaling a realignment that could bode well for the Trump administration’s stated goal of exerting more influence over its backyard.
“Chile will once again be free from crime, free from anguish, free from fear,” Kast said in his victory speech Sunday. “Criminals, delinquents – their lives are going to change. We’re going to look for them, find them, judge them and then we’re going to lock them up.”
Kast has publicly supported President Donald Trump, saying his 2024 election victory in November was “a new victory for freedom and common sense.” In contrast, Jara said in 2024 that the Cold War perception of communism isn’t “representative of the current situation.”
Chile’s neighbors have also shifted rightward, with Argentina’s Javier Milei and Bolivia’s Rodrigo Paz scoring decisive election wins this year.
Chile suffers from large-scale economic stagnation, with low investment rates and productivity presenting major problems headed into the election. As a result, the nation went through wide-ranging political turmoil in recent years, as two motions to change its constitution have so far failed.
The White House deferred to Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s public statements when asked for comment.
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