assumes the presidency amid promises of a strong hand and a divided Congress

For Kast, his Government is a “national emergency”, due to the increase in insecurity in the South American country along with economic difficulties. Each executive ministry has an action plan, among which there is a 3% cut in spendingreports the Efe agency.

The president-elect, of a far-right nature, won the elections held in December with a forceful message of a tough hand against crime in the face of alleged inaction of the outgoing Government of the socialist Boric.

Furthermore, he promised to establish a strict immigration control and stimulate a reduction in public spending, with the intention of reduce the state.

Kast’s arrival at the La Moneda Palace represents the consolidation of the turn to the right in Latin American politics. Specifically, he joins other populist right-wing presidents, such as Javier Miley in Argentina or Nayib Bukele in El Salvador.

In total, with Kast, There are now up to eleven presidents located between the right and the extreme right those who govern in America, all under the attentive look of a Donald Trump which tries to increase links with new partners in the region.

From the beginning of his management as head of the executive, Kast will face various challenges that will test his ability to govern and build political majorities.

Citizen security

one of the main challenges of his presidency will be public safety. In recent years, the perception of insecurity has increased in Chile, in a context marked by the greater presence of organized crime, drug trafficking and violent crimes.

According to the most recent figures, in 2025 there will be 1,091 homicides in the country. Although these are levels comparable to those of other Latin American countries, the figure represents a significant increase for Chile and is well above the usual rates in most European countries.

The number of homicides practically doubled in seven yearswith a gradual increase since 2018.

During the campaign, Kast promised tougher measures to tackle crime and strengthen police forces. However, your challenge will be to achieve visible results without generating conflicts with respect for civil rights or with the constitutional framework.

Illegal immigration

Another key issue will be irregular immigration, especially in the north of the country. Kast has raised stricter border control policies and greater control regarding immigration policy.

This irregular immigration that arrives from the north of the country comes especially from countries in South America and the Caribbean, with a migratory flow that enters through the border with Bolivia and Peru, in areas of the desert of Atacama.

In recent years, due to the political crisis, the majority of irregulars who crossed the border are Venezuelans, who travel the so-called Andean migratory route.

The other countries from which a greater number of immigrants in an irregular situation come are Colombia, Peru and Haiti, although the latter has decreased in recent years.

Among its proposals, the intention to create a “humanitarian return corridor“of irregular immigrants to their countries.

Already during the electoral campaign, Kast warned the 336,000 irregular migrants living in Chile that they had to leave the country, otherwise they would be “persecuted and expelled”, without having the possibility of returning to the country.

These types of proposals caused, from the South American extreme left, voices like Gustavo Petro, president of Colombia, to call him “nazi“, upon confirming his victory in the elections.

The challenge for the Kast government will be to balance immigration control with respect for Chile’s international commitments and the ability to manage the situation of the migrant population already settled in the country.

Economic readjustment

In the economic sphere, the new Government will also have to promote reactivation and recover investment dynamism. Chile has experienced moderate growth in recent years, along with an increase in fiscal pressure on citizens and important social demands.

In this context, José Antonio Kast has raised the need to reduce the size of the State and reduce public spending, with the aim of balancing fiscal accounts and promote economic activity.

According to your program, this would imply cuts in state spendingsimplification of public administration and a reduction in taxes to encourage private investment.

Kast, a defender of the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet (1973-1990), has supported a more conservative approach to social reforms and education than that promoted by the Boric government. At the same time, it proposes reviewing some social reforms and prioritizing policies focused on the most vulnerable sectors.

In the educational field, Kast has emphasized the freedom of choice of families, proposing to reform the school assignment system. Furthermore, it points out the need to reinforce technical-professional education, to adapt education to the needs of the labor market.

However, his challenge will be finding a balance between maintaining fiscal discipline, stimulating investment and responding to citizens’ expectations in terms of social welfare, especially after the reforms promoted during the government of the leftist Boric.

Even though the outgoing president, Gabriel Boric, it only retains 31% supportAccording to the latest survey, this record shows that despite the defeat of socialism in the elections, his figure maintains important support within the left-wing electorate, which defends part of his reform agenda.

Kast’s presidency will also be marked in a context of important division in the country. Chile is currently a highly polarized societyespecially after the 2019 protests.

Various studies and surveys show that the country is going through one of the moments of greater polarization since the return to democracy.

In parallel, various political analysts and experts on Chilean reality point out that the Chilean political center has weakened in the country, which has increased the confrontation between more defined ideological blocs.

minority government

Governance will be a fundamental pillar that Kast will have to work on during his presidency. In the parliamentary elections held in November along with the first presidential round, the makeup of Congress was slightly favorable to the right-wing leader.

However, the formation of Kast, the Republican Party of Chile, will not have full control of the House. His presidency will depend largely on his ability to articulate parliamentary majorities and to forge alliances with his partners.

At the moment, Kast has the support of traditional right-wing partiessuch as the Independent Democratic Union and the National Renewal, in addition to liberal sectors such as Evópoli. These parties constitute the parliamentary base closest to the government.

Another possible source of support comes from figures on the harder right, such as Congressman Johannes Kaiserlinked to National Libertarian Party.

Kaiser, the other candidate from the Chilean right wing who competed to advance to the second round against the communist Jeannette Jara, has a more radical agenda in some aspects.

Their support could be important to approve initiatives related to security, migration or reduction in the size of the State. However, a too close alliance with this political force also could make agreements with other potential partners difficult more moderate.

In any case, the biggest obstacle that Kast’s presidency will have to overcome will come from the Senate, where right and left are tied at 25 parliamentarians.

Even with the support of all right-wing senators, the executive would typically need at least one or two additional votes to approve major projects, hampering Kast’s ability to address major social reforms during his term.