Chile elects most right-wing leader since Pinochet – in line with regional drift, domestic tendency to punish incumbents

By: Andra B. Chastain, Washington State University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: December 16, 2025

Words: 1,433

Last Updated: 3 months ago

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By Andra B. Chastain, Washington State University

Chileans have elected the most right-wing presidential candidate since the end of the Augusto Pinochet dictatorship over three and a half decades ago.

In a runoff held on Dec. 14, 2025, José Antonio Kast, a Republican Party ex-congressman and two-time former presidential candidate, won just over 58% of the vote, while his opponent, Jeannette Jara, the left-wing labor minister of current President Gabriel Boric, won nearly …

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