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After a definitive final ballot, hardline candidate José Antonio Kast has won the presidency in Chile.

A Clear-Cut Triumph

With more than 99% of polling stations reporting, Kast secured 58.17% of the votes, defeating leftist former minister Jeannette Jara, who received 41.83%.

This signifies Kast's third presidency, having in the past been lost by the incumbent president, Gabriel Boric, in the 2021 runoff.

Campaign Centered On Law and Order and Migration

Known for his unwavering socially conservative views and admiration for the rule of former leader Augusto Pinochet, Kast's campaign was mostly focused on promises to combat increasing insecurity and significantly reduce immigration.

He repeatedly cited immigrants, notably the around 330,000 unauthorized individuals in Chile, for crime rates. During the campaign, he issued an stern warning for them to leave before the March 11 handover or face expulsion.

His proposals featured U.S.-style measures such as building camps, border walls, perimeter fencing, and increasing the army presence on the northernmost frontier.

Part of a Regional Trend

Several commentators view Kast's victory as fitting into a broader right-wing trend in Latin America, following this year's political results in countries like Ecuador, Bolivia, and Argentina.

However, other experts additionally view it as a extension of the predictable rotation of power between left-wing and right governments since Chile's transition to democracy in 1990.

Leading Lacking a Strong Mandate

Despite his clear popular vote victory, Kast is not expected to have an absolute majority in parliament, not in the lower house or the Senate, even if various conservative parties are grouped together.

This legislative landscape might complicate his plans, including a vow to slash public spending by a significant sum within 18 months—a measure for which he has yet to provided a clear explanation.

"There are several questions about what a Kast administration will be that are uncertain because he has not said his methods for implement them," said a political expert.

The professor added, "In terms of fiscal matters, it is almost certain we will see adjustment measures typical of the right-wing. But the area with considerably less doubt is on security policy, because that has been his flagship issue during the campaign."