Far-right candidate José Antonio Kast favourite to become Chile’s next president after first round vote

The Guardian ^ | Sun 16 Nov 2025 | Tom Phillips

[MinorityRepublican]

​The ultraconservative lawyer, José Antonio Kast, is in pole position to become Chile’s next leader after advancing to the second round of the South American country’s presidential election where he will face the Communist party candidate Jeannette Jara.

With more than 70% of votes counted, Kast had secured about 24% of the vote in Sunday’s first round vote, having campaigned on hard-line promises to crack down on crime and immigration, while making a Donald Trump-style pledge to “put Chileans first”.

Jara won slightly more support, with about 26% of votes going to the former labor minister for Chile’s outgoing centre-left president, Gabriel Boric. But other right-wing candidates took almost 30% of votes meaning Kast is now the clear favourite to win the run-off on 14 December.

Shortly after the result became clear on Sunday night, the radical libertarian Johannes Kaiser, another right-wing candidate who took about 14% of votes, announced he would endorse his far-right rival, “because the alternative is Mrs Jara” and Chile’s “lefty impoverishers”.

Evelyn Matthei, another conservative who won about 13% of votes, quickly followed suit, citing the “absolutely uncontrolled arrival” of migrants and claiming Chile needed a “sharp change of direction”.

“Please support Kast … It’s super important that this government does not remain in power. We have too many problems,” Matthei told voters while on stage beside the frontrunner.

Boric congratulated both candidates for making it to the second round after what Chile’s president called a “spectacular day of democracy”.

Speaking in the capital, Santiago, Jara thanked supporters and urged them not to forget that Chile was a great country, despite her right-wing rivals’ attempts to claim it had gone to the dogs.

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TOPICS: Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS:

[Skywise]

Never “far left” candidate

[cowboyusa]

Gar Right means Anti- Marxist

[TheDon]

“Far right” is what communists call non-communists.

[Free Deplorable]

“put Chileans first”

Wow what a truly novel concept.

[marktwain]

If the Guardian calls him “far right” he is probably quite good.

[iamgalt]

Far-right candidate “

[TigersEye]

The Guardian would call John Fetterman “far-right” and “ultra-conservative” if he switched parties and put an R in front of his name.

[House Atreides]

If the Guardian calls him “far right” he is probably quite good.
***********************************************

Actually he’s ULTRAgood.

[aquila48]

Maybe another Milei?

That would be great - Latin America is quickly turning right with Bolivia also having elected a right winger,

[No name given]

And hopefully the rest of the Americas follow suit.

[aquila48]

So we have an out and out communist vs a “fascist”.

Sounds like a replay of Allende vs Pinochet.

Should be interesting.

[Mr. Blond]

Is he a helicopter enthusiast?

[FLT-bird]

My niece married a guy from Chile. They’ve been having a lot of the same problems we’ve been having with immigration. Pinochet left Chile in good shape economically and they’ve been wealthier than most others in South America as a result. The lefties haven’t managed to entirely ruin that yet. So they’ve been flooded with illegals - especially Venezuelans.