Far-right Republican Party candidate Jose Antonio Caste has won Chile’s presidential election, results showed after a majority of votes were counted.
Challenger Janet Jara, a Communist Party member and former labor minister, admitted defeat to her far-right rival, saying “democracy speaks loud and clear.” She said in a post on X that she had spoken to the cast to wish her well.
According to preliminary results with 83% of votes counted, Kast got 58% of the votes, while Zara managed to get 41% of the votes, a clear indication that she was on course to lose.
Before the vote, opinion polls showed Kast leading Zara by a large margin, some indicating a lead of more than 10 percentage points.
For the first time in more than a decade, voting has been made mandatory, with approximately 15.8 million people eligible to vote. Preliminary results are expected early Monday and the election winner will take office in March 2026.
What are the most important issues for Chilean voters?
Sunday’s vote marks Kast’s third presidential bid, in which the 59-year-old has campaigned on an anti-crime and anti-immigrant platform.
He pledged to seek unity in a country he described as highly polarized, and said the winner would be “president of all Chileans.”
Chile, once seen as one of the safest and most prosperous countries in Latin America, has been disrupted in recent years by the COVID-19 pandemic, violent social protests and a rise in organized crime.
Surveys show that more than 60% of Chileans consider security the country’s most important issue, surpassing concerns about the economy, health care or education.
Although Chile is one of the safest countries in Latin America, crime has increased in some areas over the past decade, with authorities blaming gangs linked to Venezuela, Peru, Colombia and Ecuador.
What did the cast say about immigration?
Migration featured equally prominently throughout the election campaign, with migrants now making up around 10% of Chile’s population.
Many have fled violence and poverty in South America, particularly from Venezuela.
Caste has promised to secure Chile’s borders while building new prisons and deporting any migrants who do not have legal status.
He opposes abortion without exception and has voiced support for former military ruler Augusto Pinochet, who ruled Chile from 1973 to 1990.
Some critics have said they are concerned that Caste’s position may signal a return to authoritarian practices.
Some voters consider him akin to Pinochet, who left power after losing a 1990 referendum following a 17-year dictatorship marked by killings, disappearances and widespread torture.
The leftist challenger took the lead in the first round
Meanwhile, Jara had led the first round of voting held on 16 November, when he won about 27% of the votes.
Caste came in second place with 24%, but support for other right-wing candidates has strengthened since last month’s vote.
Jara’s candidacy is tied to the unpopular government of outgoing President Gabriel Boric, whose own four-year term was a struggle as several of his attempts to reform the Pinochet-era constitution proved unsuccessful.
Boric, who is constitutionally barred from seeking re-election, cast his vote in Punta Arenas and described democracy as the “best tool” for resolving differences among Chileans.
Edited by: Carl Sexton