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Following a conclusive final ballot, far-right candidate José Antonio Kast has secured the presidency in Chile.

A Clear-Cut Win

With more than 99% of ballots counted, Kast secured 58.17% of the ballots, defeating leftist contender Jeannette Jara, who received 41.83%.

This represents Kast's third attempt at the presidency, having previously been lost by the sitting president, Gabriel Boric, in the 2021 final vote.

Platform Focused On Security and Migration

Noted for his staunch socially conservative views and regard for the era of dictator Augusto Pinochet, Kast's electoral bid was mostly focused on promises to address rising violence and drastically reduce immigration.

He frequently pointed to foreigners, especially the around 330,000 illegal individuals in Chile, for public safety problems. During the race, he gave an final demand for them to exit before the inauguration or face deportation.

His policy ideas featured Trump-inspired measures such as constructing camps, barriers, perimeter fencing, and increasing the army presence on the northernmost frontier.

Amid a Regional Shift

Numerous analysts view Kast's success as aligning with a broader conservative shift in the region, following recent electoral wins in countries like Ecuador, Bolivia, and Argentina.

Nevertheless, other analysts also frame it as a extension of the regular alternation of power between left-wing and right-wing administrations since Chile's return to democracy in 1990.

Governing Without a Strong Mandate

Despite his clear electoral triumph, Kast will not command an absolute majority in Congress, neither in the lower house nor the Senate, even when all conservative parties are counted together.

This political situation may challenge his agenda, such as a pledge to slash public spending by a significant sum within a year and a half—a proposal for which he has yet to provided specifics.

"There are numerous aspects about what a Kast government will look like that we don't know because he has not detailed how he will achieve them," commented a political expert.

The analyst added, "In terms of fiscal matters, it is almost certain we will see spending cuts typical of the right. But where there is much less ambiguity is on public safety, because that has been his central theme during the campaign."