Conservative José Kast Defeats Communist in Chilean Presidential Election

Right-wing candidate José Antonio Kast has been elected president of Chile after securing a resounding victory in a runoff election against a Communist Party candidate.

With more than 95 percent of the votes counted, Kast, a member of the Republican Party of Chile, won more than 58 percent of the vote. His leading rival, Jeannette Jara, a member of the Communist Party of Chile, won 41 percent.

It sets the stage for Chile’s most conservative government in decades.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio congratulated Kast on the victory, indicating that the new administration would share U.S. priorities.

“The United States congratulates President-Elect José Antonio Kast of Chile on his electoral victory. Under his leadership, we are confident Chile will advance shared priorities to include strengthening public security, ending illegal immigration, and revitalizing our commercial relationship,” Rubio said.

“The United States looks forward to working closely with his administration to deepen our partnership and promote shared prosperity in our hemisphere.”

Many of Kast’s campaign promises resemble those made by U.S. President Donald Trump on the campaign trail: Kast promised Chilean voters that his administration would crack down on crime, deport hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants residing in Chile, and focus on restoring the South American nation’s economy.

News of Kast’s victory in the election drew cheers in the streets, with his backers shouting his name and honking their car horns in support.

Kast’s campaign spokesman, Arturo Squella, declared victory to the press at the party headquarters in Santiago, Chile’s capital city.

“We are very proud of the work we’ve done,” Squella told reporters. “We feel very responsible for this tremendous challenge of taking charge of the crises that Chile is going through.”

In a post on X, Kast wrote: “The campaign is over. The politicians have stopped talking. This is the time for the citizenry, let it assert itself freely and boldly.”

Kast’s election to Chile’s highest office represents a rapid reversal from the nation’s 2021 election, in which President Gabriel Boric—a member of the Chilean Communist Party—defeated Kast in a runoff election, winning nearly 56 percent of the vote.

Kast is a father of nine children and a member of the Catholic Church. His parents, including a German military officer who fought in World War 2, immigrated to Buin, Chile, in the early 1950s. A sausage production company founded by his family saw significant success in Buin, Chile, winning multiple awards from local municipal and commercial authorities.

After it became clear that Kast had won, Jara—who is best known for having served as a popular labor secretary under incumbent Chilean President Gabriel Boric—conceded defeat in the election.

“Democracy spoke loud and clear. I just communicated with the President-elect [Kast] to wish him success for the good of Chile,” Jara wrote in a post on X.

“To those who supported us and were rallied by our candidacy, rest assured that we will continue working to advance a better life in our homeland.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.