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After a definitive runoff election, hardline politician José Antonio Kast has won the presidency in Chile.

A Resounding Win

With over 99% of ballots counted, Kast secured 58.17% of the votes, overcoming leftist candidate Jeannette Jara, who obtained 41.83%.

This represents Kast's third attempt at the presidency, having earlier been lost by the current president, Gabriel Boric, in the 2021 runoff.

Platform Built On Law and Order and Migration

Recognized for his staunch socially conservative views and admiration for the era of former leader Augusto Pinochet, Kast's platform was primarily built on promises to address rising violence and radically restrict immigration.

He consistently blamed immigrants, especially the roughly 330,000 illegal individuals in Chile, for security issues. During the election cycle, he issued an final demand for them to depart before the new term begins or face removal.

His proposals featured controversial measures such as building camps, barriers, perimeter fencing, and increasing the military presence on the northern frontier.

Amid a Regional Shift

Many observers see Kast's victory as aligning with a wider conservative shift in South America, similar to recent political outcomes in nations like Ecuador, Bolivia, and Argentina.

Nevertheless, other analysts further view it as a extension of the established alternation of power between left-wing and right-wing administrations since Chile's transition to democracy in 1990.

Leading Without a Solid Mandate

Despite his clear popular vote victory, Kast will not command an clear majority in the legislature, not in the lower house nor the Senate, even when various right-leaning parties are combined together.

This political situation may complicate his agenda, including a vow to cut public spending by $6 billion within a year and a half—a plan for which he has yet to provided specifics.

"We have many things about what a Kast presidency will operate that are uncertain because he has not said the way he will achieve them," commented a political science professor.

The expert stated, "In terms of the economy, it is highly probable we will see adjustment measures typical of the right-wing. However where there is much less uncertainty is on security policy, because that has been his flagship issue across the campaign."