Who is José Antonio Kast? Chile's New President-Elect

will continue to work collaboratively for regional well-being. This international recognition comes at a pivotal moment as Latin America confronts common challenges such as insecurity, economic slowdown, and political polarization.

Career Trajectory of Chile’s New President-Elect: José Antonio Kast

José Antonio Kast Rist was born in Santiago, Chile, on January 18, 1966. He is the youngest of 10 siblings and comes from a family of German descent. His political career began at a young age during his university years at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, where he became involved with ‘gremialismo,’ a conservative movement with significant influence on the Chilean right.

In that environment, he met key figures such as Jaime Guzmán, founder of the Independent Democratic Union (UDI), a party where Kast was an active member for almost two decades. Since then, his discourse has remained firm on traditional values, with a narrative centered on order, authority, and a limited role for the state. His institutional career includes several terms as a deputy, which allowed him to consolidate a loyal electoral base and an image as a disciplined, albeit controversial, politician.

One of the most significant moves in Kast’s career occurred in 2019 when he decided to found the Republican Party, a platform that expanded the Chilean political spectrum towards more radical right-wing positions. This new party capitalized on the discontent of conservative sectors that felt underrepresented by the traditional right. With a direct and confrontational style, Kast managed to:

• Position issues such as security and migration at the center of public debate.
• Construct a narrative of a “crisis of order” in the country.
• Attract voters disillusioned with recent progressive reforms.

Since then, his figure has become a central actor in the Chilean political system.

A Leadership Style Compared to Trump and Bolsonaro

Analysts and experts have compared José Antonio Kast to leaders like Donald Trump and Jair Bolsonaro, primarily due to his confrontational rhetoric and ultraconservative approach. Like them, Kast has built his political capital on discourses that appeal to social weariness and a rejection of “political correctness.”

Among his most well-known stances are his outright opposition to legal abortion, same-sex marriage, and flexible migration policies. In previous campaigns, he even proposed extreme measures to curb irregular migration, such as excavating a three-meter-wide and deep ditch in northern border areas, an idea that drew strong criticism both within and outside Chile.

The Three Pillars of the New President of Chile’s Government Program

Furthermore, in his current presidential program, Kast asserts that Chile faces a “security emergency,” a premise that articulates his government proposal. His agenda is built upon three fundamental pillars, which seek to redefine the priorities of the Chilean state:

• Restore Order and Authority
  • Strengthening of security forces.
  • Stricter penalties for serious crimes.
  • Zero tolerance for organized crime.
• Reinvigorate Economic Progress and Employment
  • Incentives for private investment.
  • Reduction of regulatory hurdles.
  • Promotion of formal employment as a cornerstone of development.
• Restore Liberty and Justice for All Chileans
  • Defense of individual liberties.
  • Critiques of state interventionism.
  • Review of reforms enacted by previous governments.

These pillars aim to address a citizenry that, according to Kast, demands swift and decisive solutions to insecurity and economic uncertainty.

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