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Following a conclusive second-round vote, ultra-conservative candidate José Antonio Kast has secured the presidential office in Chile.

A Commanding Victory

After over 99% of ballots counted, Kast won 58.17% of the ballots, overcoming leftist contender Jeannette Jara, who received 41.83%.

This marks Kast's third bid for the presidency, having in the past been lost by the sitting president, Gabriel Boric, in the 2021 second round.

Agenda Built On Security and Immigration

Known for his unwavering Catholic views and regard for the period of former leader Augusto Pinochet, Kast's campaign was largely built on promises to address rising insecurity and radically restrict migration.

He frequently pointed to foreigners, notably the roughly 330,000 illegal individuals in Chile, for security issues. During the race, he gave an stern warning for them to exit before the new term begins or face deportation.

His proposals included controversial measures such as constructing holding facilities, border walls, perimeter fencing, and increasing the military presence on the northernmost frontier.

Part of a Continental Shift

Many commentators see Kast's win as fitting into a wider right-wing wave in the region, similar to recent political outcomes in nations like Ecuador, Bolivia, and Argentina.

However, other pundits further describe it as a extension of the established alternation of power between left and right-wing administrations since Chile's establishment of democracy in 1990.

Ruling Without a Strong Majority

Despite his clear electoral win, Kast will not command an absolute majority in the legislature, neither in the lower house nor the Senate, even when various right-leaning parties are grouped together.

This political landscape may challenge his plans, such as a pledge to reduce public spending by billions within a year and a half—a measure for which he has yet to detailed concrete steps.

"We have numerous aspects about how a Kast presidency will operate that we don't know because he has not explained the way he will achieve them," noted a political professor.

The professor continued, "In terms of fiscal matters, it is very likely we will see austerity policies associated with the right-wing. However the area with considerably less doubt is on law and order, because that has been his flagship issue across the campaign."