José Antonio Kast Wins Chilean Presidency With 58% in Rightward Turn

Overview

• Official tallies from Chile’s Servel show Kast taking roughly 58% of the vote as left-wing rival Jeannette Jara conceded and phoned to congratulate him.
• In a conciliatory victory speech, Kast pledged to be “president of all Chileans” and asked the opposition to join a push against organized crime while promising tougher enforcement of the law.
• Kast’s campaign centered on crime and migration, including proposals to criminalize irregular entry, fortify borders and deport an estimated 330,000–340,000 undocumented migrants.
• He will be inaugurated on March 11, 2026, with the new Congress, where the right and far-right bloc is close to—but short of—an automatic majority, heightening uncertainty over his agenda.
• Regional and global figures reacted quickly, with Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva congratulating Kast and signaling continued cooperation between the two countries.