Conservative political figure José Antonio Kast was sworn in as the President of Chile, succeeding the leftist former president Gabriel Boric. He pledged to combat the increasing crime rates and to expel illegal immigrants from the country.
The inauguration ceremony took place in the coastal city of Valparaíso. Kast’s assumption of office marks a rightward shift in Chile’s future direction, potentially bidding farewell to the socialist and leftist policies of the previous government.
Kast narrowly lost to Boric in the 2021 presidential election, where he opposed abortion and same-sex marriage. During his time as a member of parliament, he also voted against abortion and divorce legalization bills citing “immorality”.
With the surge in criminal organizations’ impact, Kast emerged victorious in last December’s election, defeating the candidate of the “Chilean Communist Party,” Jeannette Jara, with overwhelming support due to his tough stance on reducing state intervention, cutting public spending, lowering corporate taxes, public safety, and the issue of illegal immigration.
Kast secured over 58% of the votes in the election, while Jara garnered 41%. This was Kast’s third attempt at the presidency.
Attendees at the inauguration included President Javier Milei of Argentina, President Daniel Noboa of Ecuador, King Felipe VI of Spain, President José Raúl Mulino of Panama, Nobel laureate María Corina Machado. From the United States, Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau led a low-profile delegation.
Kast has labeled his four-year term as a “state of emergency” government, pointing directly at Chile facing increasingly severe security and economic crises.
In his first presidential address on Wednesday evening, Kast spoke to the public from the balcony of La Moneda Palace, emphasizing that Chile is facing real enemies, including “those who spread fear in our communities”.
He emphasized, “Those who cross the border illegally to commit crimes, exploit others, or turn our land into lawless zones are enemies of Chile.” He reiterated that the government will “never compromise” and will actively pursue these criminals.
Kast plans to empower the police with more firepower, deploy the military in crime hotspots, and simultaneously expel a large number of illegal immigrants, aligning his governance goals closely with former U.S. President Trump.
His ascent adds another country in Latin America shifting towards right-wing policies, providing a new ally for the Trump administration in the region. Currently, Trump is revitalizing U.S. influence in Latin America to counter the expanding influence of China in South America.
On March 7, Kast joined over a dozen Latin American leaders in Florida to participate in the new security initiative led by Trump, “The Shield of the Americas.” The initiative aims to combat drug cartels and illegal immigration, as well as curb China’s influence in the region.
Claudio Fuentes, a political scientist at Diego Portales University in Chile, mentioned to NPR, “Kast’s top priority upon assuming office will be the immigration issue. He is likely to take an extremely tough stance on border control, possibly deploying more military personnel. However, how he handles this issue will be crucial to the success of his administration.”