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Following a conclusive second-round vote, hardline politician José Antonio Kast has won the presidential office in Chile.

A Resounding Triumph

With more than 99% of ballots counted, Kast won 58.17% of the votes, beating leftist candidate Jeannette Jara, who received 41.83%.

This marks Kast's third presidency, having in the past been beaten by the current president, Gabriel Boric, in the 2021 second round.

Campaign Built On Security and Immigration

Recognized for his staunch Catholic views and praise for the era of former leader Augusto Pinochet, Kast's electoral bid was primarily built on promises to combat growing crime and drastically curb migration.

He repeatedly cited migrants, notably the around 330,000 undocumented individuals in Chile, for public safety problems. Throughout the race, he gave an final demand for them to leave before the March 11 handover or face expulsion.

His plans featured U.S.-style measures such as building holding facilities, barriers, security fences, and increasing the army presence on the northern frontier.

Within a Regional Wave

Many observers see Kast's success as fitting into a broader rightward shift in Latin America, similar to recent political outcomes in countries like Ecuador, Bolivia, and Argentina.

Yet, other analysts further view it as a part of the established swing of power between left and right leadership since Chile's transition to democracy in 1990.

Governing Lacking a Solid Majority

Despite his decisive popular vote triumph, Kast does not have an clear majority in Congress, not in the lower house nor the Senate, even if various right-leaning parties are combined together.

This legislative reality might hinder his agenda, including a promise to reduce public spending by a significant sum within a year and a half—a proposal for which he has yet to provided a clear explanation.

"There are several questions about what a Kast administration will be that we don't know because he has not said his methods for implement them," said a political science professor.

The expert stated, "Regarding economic policy, it is highly probable we will see adjustment measures associated with the right-wing. However where there is considerably less ambiguity is on security policy, because that has been his central theme throughout the campaign."