John Bartlett

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,

A Communist Party politician is likely to win today's first round of voting with her promises to expand the welfare state.

The two candidates with the most votes will face off in a run-off election next month, with polls suggesting that that would be a divisive showdown between a communist and an ultra-conservative.

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 Johannes Kaiser, have prospered with promises of harsh crackdowns on crime and border security.