John Bartlett

Since Tuesday, wildfires have ripped through Chile's southern forests, leading to the evacuation of more than 50,000 people.

The government has declared a state of catastrophe, restricting movement in the region, and a curfew will be put in place in the areas affected.

President Gabriel Boric has arrived in the region to oversee the response, and the Forestry Commission said that it had 24 planes and 10 fire brigades battling the blazes.

Wildfires hit Chile every summer, and the country's National Forestry Commission says that there are currently 80 fires burning up and down the country, covering an area of nearly 21,000 hectares.

This latest wave of fires has been exacerbated by a heatwave in the south of Chile, with temperatures expected to reach 100 degrees Fahrenheit and winds of up to 55 miles per hour.

For NPR News, I'm John Bartlett in Santiago, Chile.

Kast ran a campaign based almost entirely on public security and immigration, claiming that he would install an emergency government in a country which he describes as being in crisis and which is deeply traumatized by a recent rise in crime.

Kast's father, Michael, was a Nazi party member who fought in the German army in the Second World War and emigrated to Chile in 1950.

His son, José Antonio, the president-elect, is a staunch supporter of Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet and will become the first president since democracy returned in 1990 to openly support the dictatorship.

Kast will take office on the 11th of March, 2026, the deadline he has repeatedly given for illegal migrants to leave the country or face persecution and deportation.

For NPR News, I'm John Bartlett in Santiago, Chile.

Kast ran a campaign based almost entirely on public security and immigration, claiming that he would install an emergency government in a country which he describes as being in crisis and which is deeply traumatised by a recent rise in crime.

Kast's father, Michael, was a Nazi party member who fought in the German army in the Second World War and emigrated to Chile in 1950.

His son, José Antonio, the president-elect, is a staunch supporter of Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet and will become the first president since democracy returned in 1990 to openly support the dictatorship.

Kast will take office on the 11th of March, 2026, the deadline he has repeatedly given for illegal migrants to leave the country or face persecution and deportation.

For NPR News, I'm John Bartlett in Santiago, Chile.

It feels like a long time since Chileans voted to make left-wing former student leader Gabriel Boric president in 2022.

This electoral cycle has been dominated by fears over public security, illegal immigration, and international organized crime.

Two far-right candidates, José Antonio Kast and Yohannes Kayser, have prospered with promises of harsh crackdowns on crime and border security.

But polls show that Janet Hara,