Chilean voters elected the most right-wing president in 35 years of democracy on Sunday, with official results showing arch-conservative Jose Antonio Kast with a thumping victory and his rival quickly conceding defeat.

Jose Antonio Kast Wins Chile's Election

Chile is set for a high-stakes presidential runoff on December 14, following a tightly contested first round where Jeannette Jara, the center-left candidate, narrowly led but failed to secure an outright victory. Her opponent, far-right leader José Antonio Kast, has surged in polls and is now favored to win, as opposition candidates rally behind him and voters express concerns over crime and economic stagnation. The runoff marks a stark ideological divide, with Jara representing working-class and progressive policies while Kast advocates for stricter law and order and a shift away from the current government's direction. 


Chile presidential race: Election pivots on crime, migration

Chile's leftist former labor minister Jeannette Jara and far-right leader Jose Antonio Kast will go head-to-head in a presidential run-off after topping Sunday's first round of voting in an election dominated by violent crime.


Chile: Presidential candidates take part in final debate before the high-stakes election