Pro-Israel Hard-Liner Kast Wins Chile Election in Landslide

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — An outspoken supporter of Israel with long-standing ties to Chile’s Jewish community, ultra-conservative former lawmaker José Antonio Kast won Chile’s presidential election Sunday, capturing 58.2% of the vote and defeating communist candidate Jeannette Jara, who received 41.8%, according to official results. The decisive victory paves the way for Chile’s most right-wing government since the country returned to democracy in 1990.

Kast’s win reflected widespread voter frustration with rising crime, illegal immigration and a sluggish economy in one of Latin America’s traditionally most stable nations. Jara, a former labor minister in President Gabriel Boric’s center-left government, called Kast to concede after his lead became irreversible. “Democracy spoke loud and clear,” she wrote on social media, later urging supporters not to be discouraged by the loss.

Kast was declared the winner less than two hours after polls closed. His campaign spokesman, Arturo Squella, said the incoming administration understood the “enormous responsibility” of confronting the crises facing the country.

Throughout his political career, Kast has positioned himself as firmly pro-Israel, repeatedly condemning antisemitism and opposing international campaigns that single out Israel. His stance has earned him support within Chile’s Jewish community, one of the largest in Latin America. In overseas voting held in Tel Aviv, Kast won decisively, a result local media attributed to his reputation as a pro-Israel candidate.

The election also fits a broader regional trend, as voters across Latin America have turned away from incumbent governments and elevated right-wing leaders amid concerns over public security, migration and economic uncertainty. The Trump administration was among the first to congratulate Kast, with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying Washington looked forward to working with his government on shared priorities including public safety, immigration enforcement and strengthening trade ties.

The contest was among the most polarized since Chile’s transition from dictatorship. Kast, a devout Catholic and father of nine, campaigned on a platform of strict law-and-order measures, mass deportations of undocumented migrants and free-market reforms. His family history — including a German-born father who was a member of the Nazi Party and a brother who served as a minister under dictator Augusto Pinochet — has long drawn scrutiny.

Jara, by contrast, is a lifelong Communist Party member from a working-class family who opposed the 1973–1990 military dictatorship and championed expansive social welfare policies. While Kast’s moral conservatism, including his opposition to abortion and same-sex marriage, hurt him in previous campaigns, fears over organized crime and public safety dominated this election, fueling support for his hard-line message.

Celebrations erupted across Santiago as Kast’s supporters — ranging from business leaders to families fearful of rising violence — poured into the streets, underscoring the deep political divisions that will shape Chile’s next chapter.