The recent presidential election in Chile was not a new change in power. This is a major political turning point and an abrupt end to a cycle that has dominated public debate for the past decade. The triumph of José Antonio Kast Rist … It was clear, vast and difficult to put into perspective. It was not a close or circumstantial victory, but rather a clear national statement.
The official results confirm the magnitude of the result. Kast obtained 7,254,850 votes, or 58.16% of the total, compared to 5,218,444 votes (41.84%). Jeannette Jara. The difference, more than 2.6 million votes, makes Kast the president with the most votes in Chilean history and reinforces the structural nature of the political turn expressed during the elections.
The territorial behavior of the electorate is even more revealing. Kast prevailed in all regions of the country, including those that were bastions of the left for decades. These data invalidate simplistic readings based on traditional ideological divisions and force us to recognize a profound recomposition of citizens’ preferences.
The election actually took place as an unambiguous plebiscite. On the one hand, a ruling party identified with a discursive agenda focused on identities, symbols and stories. On the other, a social majority that prioritized public security, immigration control, economic stability and governability. It was not a vote of enthusiasm, but of order and pragmatism.
The Chilean left has not only lost the presidency: it has also lost its links with large popular sectors. The disconnect between discourse and daily experience was decisive. Added to this is an obvious loss of moral authority, aggravated by selective silences in the face of serious complaints that have affected figures in the sector itself, which has weakened its public credibility.
The result is also a rejection by the government of Gabriel Boric. Beyond specific errors, management has failed to provide certainty on central issues such as security, economic growth and institutional control. This defeat reflects a critical assessment of his ability to govern in a complex context.
Kast now arrives at La Moneda with a clear and demanding mandate. We expect a government focused on economic recovery, attracting investments and restoring public order. But the most sensitive expectation is another: that of an administration without privileges, without networks of favors and with strict criteria of merit and probity.
In foreign policy, the change points towards a pragmatic and less ideologized approach, with particular attention to the relationship with the United States and the international integration of Chile.
The challenge will be to govern without reproducing the vices that citizens have just sanctioned. Chile has spoken clearly. It is now up to politics to live up to the message.
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