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After a definitive runoff election, far-right politician José Antonio Kast has clinched the presidency in Chile.

A Resounding Triumph

With over 99% of ballots counted, Kast secured 58.17% of the votes, beating leftist contender Jeannette Jara, who earned 41.83%.

This marks Kast's third presidency, having earlier been beaten by the current president, Gabriel Boric, in the 2021 runoff.

Campaign Focused On Law and Order and Migration

Known for his staunch socially conservative views and praise for the era of former leader Augusto Pinochet, Kast's platform was mostly built on promises to tackle growing violence and significantly restrict immigration.

He frequently pointed to foreigners, notably the around 330,000 undocumented individuals in Chile, for public safety problems. Throughout the campaign, he issued an stern warning for them to depart before the March 11 handover or face expulsion.

His plans envisioned Trump-inspired measures such as erecting detention centers, high walls, security fences, and strengthening the army presence on the northern frontier.

Part of a Regional Trend

Several commentators see Kast's success as fitting into a larger conservative trend in South America, following this year's political wins in countries like Ecuador, Bolivia, and Argentina.

Yet, other analysts also frame it as a part of the predictable rotation of power between left-wing and right governments since Chile's return to democracy in 1990.

Ruling Lacking a Strong Mandate

Despite his clear popular vote victory, Kast will not have an overall majority in the legislature, neither in the Chamber of Deputies nor the Senate, even when various conservative parties are combined together.

This legislative situation might hinder his plans, including a promise to cut public spending by $6 billion within a year and a half—a proposal for which he has yet to detailed a clear explanation.

"We have several things about how a Kast government will look like that remain unclear because he has not said his methods for implement them," noted a political science professor.

The analyst stated, "In terms of fiscal matters, it is very likely we will see austerity policies associated with the right. However the area with much less doubt is on law and order, because that has been his workhorse during the campaign."