Santiago de Chile, December 14 (EFE). – The far-right José Antonio Kast won this Sunday the second round of presidential elections in Chile, becoming the first defender of the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet (1973-1989), who came to power after the return of democracy to the Andean country.
The ultra-liberal, son of a family of German immigrants with a Nazi past, received 58.1% of the vote compared to 41.8% for the center-left coalition candidate Jannette Jara, in a process with compulsory voting for the first time in a presidential election in which the number of whites and zeros multiplied compared to the first round.
In his first speech as president-elect, Kast, a follower of the ultra-Catholic Schoenstatt sect, thanked God for his victory and asked God for wisdom and moderation in a government that will begin March 11.
“Nothing would be possible if we did not have God. And that is something that we cannot help but recognize. For those of us believers, nothing happens in life who are not in a direct relationship with God. And that is where I say that for me it is an honor, a tremendous responsibility, the comprehensive commission that we have been given today,” he explained.
Kast appealed for the country’s unity, promised to govern “for all Chileans,” thanked the support of the far-right libertarian Johannes Kaiser, the traditional right and its leader Evelyn Mzathei, daughter of a general in the Pinochet junta, and appreciated the “courage” of his rival, whom he asked for respect despite the differences.
He also reiterated his repressive policies to curb irregular migration and violence, but moderated his tone and, above all, tempered the expectations he had raised during the election campaign, asking for patience because changes are “not possible in a short time.”
Constructive opposition
The center-left candidate, communist Jeannette Jara, vowed to continue fighting and working to defend the progressive advances and rights that Chileans have won in recent years and pledged to form a “propositive and demanding” opposition.
“We will steadfastly defend what we have achieved,” emphasized the candidate, who called on the parties of the broad, heterogeneous and “historic” coalition that elected her in the primaries to “maintain unity” to face the challenge of the extreme right.
“We will stick together and stand together, as we have always done,” said Jara, who called on his rival to recognize his victory, as did the President of the Republic himself, the progressive Gabriel Boric, who promised to give him “a country on the rise” through “an orderly transition” that will begin this Monday with a meeting between the two at La Moneda Palace.
The handover ceremony will take place on March 11th, on which day Kast will have already presented his cabinet.
SOUTH AMERICA Turn all the way to the right
As soon as the news was announced, Kast received a flood of congratulations from leaders of the international far right and rejoiced at the victory in Chile, which sharpens South America’s turn to the far right in line with the postulates of United States President Donald Trump.
Speaking on behalf of the White House, Secretary of State Marcos Rubio said that under his leadership, Chile would advance shared priorities such as strengthening public security, controlling illegal immigration and revitalizing bilateral trade relations, and expressed his willingness to work closely with the future Chilean executive branch.
More exuberant was Argentine President Javier MIlei, with whom Kast said he “shared dreams” – who expressed his “tremendous joy” at his “friend’s” victory and with whom he promised to work together so that “America embraces the ideas of freedom.”
The Presidents of Ecuador, Daniel Noboa, Bolivia, Rodrigo Paz, Paraguay, Santiago Peña and Costa Rica, Rodrigo Chaves, also expressed their desire to cooperate and strengthen relations.
At the institutional level, progressive Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva emphasized the transparency and orderliness of the electoral process, wished him “good luck” in his future term in office, and reaffirmed Brazil’s commitment to strengthening bilateral, economic and trade relations and maintaining South America as a “zone of peace.”
The divisive tone was set by Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who warned that “the winds of death are coming” in America and called on the countries of the former Greater Colombia to “resist Bolívar with the sword raised.”
One of the first to congratulate Kast from Europe was the leader of the Spanish party Vox, Santiago Abascal, who co-chairs the “Conservative Action Political Conference,” which brings together far-right parties from the United States. EFE
(Photo) (Video)
About The Author
