Who Is Jose Antonio Kast? Far-Right Politician Wins Chile Presidential Election

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Far-right candidate Jose Antonio Kast became Chile's 38th president on Sunday, ending the tenure of the centre-left government. According to Al Jazeera, preliminary results on Sunday suggested that Kast defeated the former Labour Minister Jeannette Jara. Jara and her coalition, Unity for Chile, conceded shortly after polls closed.

Who is Jose Antonio Kast?

Jose Antonio Kast, 59, leads Chile's Republican Party and secured the presidency on his third attempt.

As per the New York Times, Kast is a father of nine with ideological roots in conservative Roman Catholicism and economic neoliberalism.

He had campaigned on a tough-on-crime platform that had echoes of US President Donald Trump's political approach, promising to deport undocumented migrants and build a barrier along Chile's extensive northern border, NYT added.

He had lost the 2021 election to outgoing President Gabriel Boric by nearly 10 points. Boric, who became Chile's youngest president, saw his popularity drop to around 30 per cent by the end of his term and was ineligible to run for a second term, as reported by Al Jazeera.

Voter frustration over rising crime, immigration, and a slowing economy contributed to Kast's success.

During his campaign, Kast promised to tackle these issues with strict measures, including mass deportations, harsher sentencing, and isolating cartel leaders in maximum-security facilities.

His security platform, known as the "Implacable Plan", emphasises cracking down on criminals while protecting ordinary citizens.

Kast also took conservative positions on social and health issues, notably opposing abortion even in cases of rape, Al Jazeera reported.

His views have drawn criticism, especially given his past praise for Chile's former dictator, Augusto Pinochet, who ruled from 1973 to 1990 following a military coup.

Kast, whose earlier political career had been defined by a focus on conservative Catholic values, like opposition to abortion, has largely avoided referring to these divisive issues during this year's presidential bid, which was his third.

"If he were alive, he would vote for me," Kast said, as quoted by Al Jazeera.

The candidate's family background has also been scrutinised, with his father, Michael Martin Kast, being a former Nazi Party member who emigrated to Chile in 1950.

An Al Jazeera correspondent reporting from the capital noted that Kast's victory represents a historic moment for Chile's far right, the first conservative government since the return to democracy in 1990.

While Kast moderated his platform to broaden voter appeal during the campaign, his alignment with Pinochet's legacy raises questions about the extent of his conservative policies, Al Jazeera reported.

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