Name: Chile’s far-right turn: What it means for Latin America
Uploaded: 2026-01-02T01:42:45.928Z
Duration: 2 min 23 s
Description: Chile’s far right surges with Kast’s win, echoing regional shifts as voters back tough agendas amid crime, corruption and US sway

Chile’s far right surges with Kast’s win, echoing regional shifts as voters back tough agendas amid crime, corruption and US sway

Santiago

Chile is set to inaugurate far-right politician Jose Antonio Cast as its next president, marking the country's most significant rightward shift since its return to democracy. Cast, a supporter of the former military regime, represents a broader regional trend as several Latin American countries have recently elected or seen the rise of right-wing leaders.

This political shift is attributed to increasing public frustration with corruption and violent crime, leading voters to favor hardline law-and-order policies. Upcoming elections in Colombia, Brazil, and Peru could further expand the influence of right-wing governments in the region.

Chile’s far-right turn: What it means for Latin America

It's been a little more than half a century since Chile's presidential palace was bombed in a military coup that installed General Augusto Pinochet, leader of one of the region's longest military dictatorships. The palace was eventually repaired, and in fact right now it is being repainted for its next occupant. In a little over two months, the current left-wing president will be replaced by a far-right wing politician who was a strong supporter of the former military regime. The election of Jose Antonio Cast is the most rightward shift in this country since its return to democracy 35 years ago. But rather than an exception, Cast is a reflection of a growing trend in this region. The shift started slowly, with El Salvador's populist president Nayib Bukele, followed by Ecuador's Daniel Noboa. Then came Argentina's Javier Milley. And after Cast, just over a week ago, Honduras' Nasri Asfuta joined the club of right-wing Latin American leaders. All of them are staunch supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump. Following his lead, they're vowing to make their countries great again, crack down on undocumented migration, and restore family values. And they have something else in common, timing. Latin America is witnessing a spike in corruption and violent crime, and the hardline law-and-order discourse of the far-right, often at the expense of human rights, is much more popular when people are afraid. Leftist and center-left governments are being replaced by voters impatient for solutions to their problems. It's not so much ideological, but pragmatic. This year, three key South American countries, currently led by center-left leaders, will elect new presidents, Colombia, Brazil, and Peru. In all three cases, far-right-wing candidates stand a chance of winning, which could turn a right-wing shift into a right-wing tsunami. Whatever the outcome, the region will need to tread carefully, even those on the right, amid Trump's determination to restore U.S. dominance in Latin America.

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