Far-right politician José Antonio Kast has won Chile’s presidential runoff election, marking a sharp ideological shift for the world’s top copper-producing nation and extending a recent wave of right-wing victories across Latin America.
With nearly all ballots counted on Sunday, Kast secured about 58 percent of the vote, defeating Jeannette Jara, a former labour minister and Communist Party figure who represented the governing centre-left coalition. Jara conceded shortly after polls closed, acknowledging Kast’s victory and calling for democratic unity.
“Democracy has spoken clearly,” Jara wrote on social media. “We will continue working for a fairer Chile from the opposition.”
Kast, leader of the Republican Party, declared that voters had given him a “broad mandate” to restore security and economic stability. “Chile chose hope over fear,” he told supporters in Santiago. “This is the beginning of a country that works again.”
The election makes Kast Chile’s 38th president and caps his third attempt to win the office, following defeats in 2017 and 2021. His victory comes as outgoing President Gabriel Boric leaves office with approval ratings near historic lows, weighed down by rising crime, immigration pressures and sluggish economic growth.
Regional political shift
Kast’s win aligns Chile with a growing list of Latin American countries that have recently elected right-leaning or market-friendly leaders, including Argentina under Javier Milei and Ecuador under Daniel Noboa. Analysts say the trend reflects voter frustration with inflation, crime and perceived economic stagnation, rather than a uniform ideological realignment.
Still, Kast’s triumph is particularly significant in Chile, a country that has long prided itself on political moderation since the end of Augusto Pinochet’s military dictatorship in 1990. Kast has drawn controversy for his past comments defending aspects of the Pinochet era, though he has sought to soften his rhetoric during the campaign.
Hardline agenda
During the race, Kast ran on a law-and-order platform centred on combating crime and drug trafficking. His “Implacable Plan” calls for tougher sentencing, expanded prison capacity and the isolation of cartel leaders. He also pledged to tighten immigration controls, including large-scale deportations of undocumented migrants.
Socially, Kast remains deeply conservative, opposing abortion even in cases of rape and vowing to roll back progressive social policies enacted under Boric’s administration.
Major implications for copper and mining
Perhaps the most consequential impact of Kast’s presidency may be felt in Chile’s mining sector — particularly copper, which accounts for roughly half of the country’s export revenues and plays a central role in the global energy transition.
Kast has repeatedly criticised what he describes as “anti-investment hostility” toward mining under the outgoing government. During the campaign, he pledged to streamline environmental permitting, provide regulatory certainty and reverse policies that, in his view, discouraged capital investment.
Under Boric, Chile increased mining royalties and strengthened environmental oversight, moves welcomed by labour unions and environmental groups but criticised by mining companies for raising costs and delaying projects. Kast has said he will review the royalty framework, arguing that excessive taxation risks driving investment to rival producers such as Peru and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Market participants expect Kast’s victory to be welcomed by international miners and investors, particularly those with large copper expansion projects in northern Chile. Shares of major copper producers with Chilean exposure are expected to benefit from expectations of faster approvals and a more business-friendly climate.
However, analysts caution that any rollback of environmental or social safeguards could face resistance in Congress and from local communities, where opposition to mining projects has intensified in recent years due to water scarcity and environmental concerns.
Codelco and private miners
Kast has also signalled support for strengthening state-owned copper giant Codelco, though with a greater emphasis on partnerships with private capital to fund mine expansions and modernization. Codelco has struggled with declining output and rising costs, even as copper prices remain elevated due to strong demand from electric vehicles, renewable energy and grid infrastructure.
A more market-oriented policy stance could help accelerate stalled copper developments, potentially boosting Chile’s output at a time when global supply is tightening. But labour unions have warned that reforms must not come at the expense of worker protections or state ownership.
Balancing growth and stability
Kast will take office amid high expectations from investors — and deep concerns among critics — over how far he will push his agenda. For Chile’s copper industry, the election result signals a likely shift toward faster project development, lower regulatory friction and a renewed push to reclaim Chile’s position as the undisputed leader of global copper supply.
Whether Kast can deliver those changes while maintaining social stability and environmental credibility will be one of the defining tests of his presidency.
