In Chile, Trump Finds Another Far-Right Friend
Newly-sworn in President José Antonio Kast is Chile's most far-right leader in decades. He's tried to distance himself from pinochetista accusations. But his following tells a different story.
SANTIAGO, Chile — José Antonio Kast, Chile’s new president, is the country’s most far-right leader in decades. Endorsed by US President Donald Trump, Kast ran a parallel campaign rooted in nationalism, promising to quell Chileans’ security fears by targeting illegal migration and reversing four years of “damage” under former President Gabriel Boric’s leftist administration.
Kast was sworn into office on Wednesday after capturing nearly 60% of the vote in a December runoff election against Jeannette Jara, a longtime member of Chile’s Communist Party.
“Chile needs an emergency government, and that is what we are going to have,” Kast said Wednesday in his inaugural address from the balcony of Palacio de La Moneda in Santiago. “An emergency government is not a slogan; it is the reality we are going to live: order where there is chaos, relief where there is pain, a firm hand where there is impunity, and real, concrete hope for those ignored for too long.”
For supporters, Kast’s presidency signals a harder line on migration, crime, and economic instability, issues many voters say have eroded the country’s sense of order. But for critics, his strongman rhetoric, Trump-style political playbook, and backing from hard-right coalitions revive fears of authoritarianism.