José Antonio Kast

José Antonio Kast Rist (; born 18 January 1966) is a Chilean lawyer and politician who has served as the 38th president of Chile since 2026. Kast previously served as a member of the Chamber of Deputies from 2002 to 2018, representing districts in the Santiago Metropolitan Region.

Born in Santiago to a German immigrant family, Kast graduated from the Pontificial Catholic University of Chile in 1990 with a degree in law. During his studies, he would become involved in youth pro-Pinochet conservative movements, supporting the "Yes" option in the 1988 presidential referendum, as well as forming part of Jaime Guzmán's . He joined the Independent Democratic Union (UDI) in 1996, from which he resigned in 2016. He became an independent for three years prior to his founding of the Republican Party (PRCh) in 2019.

He ran for president thrice: in 2017, as an independent close to the far-right, finishing fourth; in 2021, winning the first round but losing the runoff to Gabriel Boric; and in 2025, winning the runoff against Communist Party candidate Jeannette Jara, achieving the highest vote share since Chile's transition to democracy while carrying all electoral regions. He resigned from the Republican Party shortly before taking office on 11 March 2026.

Kast and his political movement are broadly considered part of the radical, populist right, with his government described as the most conservative since the Pinochet dictatorship. His administration, a self-described "emergency government", has focused on deregulation, cutting taxes, and a hard-line policy against illegal immigration.

Early life and career José Antonio Kast was born in Santiago into a German family. His parents, Michael Kast Schindele (1924–2014) and Olga Rist Hagspiel (1924–2015), were originally from Bavaria. His father served as a lieutenant in the German Army during World War II and was a member of the Nazi Party.

Kast's father emigrated to Chile in December 1950, settling in Buin. His mother and two siblings followed in 1951. In 1962, the family founded Cecinas Bavaria, a small sausage business that became the foundation of their wealth. The couple had ten children, three of whom predeceased their parents.

His brother Miguel Kast (1948–1983) was an economist who held posts under the military regime of Augusto Pinochet, including Minister of Labor and president of the Central Bank of Chile. José Antonio Kast is also the uncle of former member of the Chamber of Deputies Pablo Kast (born 1973), former senator Felipe Kast (born 1977), and member of the Chamber of Deputies Tomás Kast (born 1979).

Kast studied law at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, where he became involved with the (Guildist Movement).

In 1989, before being admitted to practice law, he co-founded Kast, Pinochet, De La Cuadra & Cía., a law firm, and later directed a family-owned real estate company in the 1990s. He taught civil law and commercial law at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile's Institute of Economics.

Kast graduated with a Bachelor of Laws in 1990. His undergraduate thesis was titled "Freedom of association and assembly, freedom of the press, and suffrage in José Victorino Lastarria Santander." He was admitted to the practice of law by the Supreme Court of Chile in 1991.

Parliamentarian career (2002–2018) Beginnings During his university years, he was elected to the Superior Council and ran as a candidate for the presidency of the Federation of Students of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile (FEUC) representing the Guildist Movement. In that election, constitutional lawyer Patricio Zapata, a member of the Christian Democratic University movement, was elected. He also participated in the student council of the School of Law of the PUC, where he met Jaime Guzmán, who encouraged him to join the Independent Democratic Union (UDI).

In 1996, he ran in the municipal elections as a candidate for mayor of Buin, Chile, located south of the Santiago Metropolitan Region. After placing second, he assumed office as municipal councillor, a position he held between 1996 and 2000, during which time he also served as ceremonial mayor. His support came from right-wing, conservative, libertarian, nationalist, and retired military groups. He campaigned on a platform of "less taxes, less government, pro-life"

His support for the former dictatorship was controversial, especially his proposal to pardon convicts over 80 with age-related illnesses, including those convicted of human rights violations. He received 523,213 votes (7.93%), finishing fourth, outperforming polls that showed only 2–3% support. In the runoff, he supported the eventual winner, Sebastián Piñera. He stated, "[In today's world,] Chileans need God," and proposed making religion teachers available in public schools.

2021 presidential campaign

In 2018, Kast announced his intention to run in the 2021 presidential election. This time he ran under his own Republican Party. He formed the Christian Social Front pact with the Christian Conservative Party. His proposals included pardoning elderly former Pinochet officials, banning abortion, merging the Ministry of Women, withdrawing from the United Nations Human Rights Council, and building more prisons.

In May 2019, Kast founded the think tank Republican Ideas, and in June, he established the Republican Party. He opposed the 2019 protests, calling them acts of violence by "terrorists".

In the 2020 referendum on a new constitution, he campaigned for "Reject," which received 21.72% of the vote; the change was approved with 78.28%. In the 2021 Chilean Constitutional Convention election, his party formed a joint list, Vamos por Chile, with the center-right coalition . The list won 20.6% of the vote. Kast's proposed candidate, Teresa Marinovic, won a high percentage of votes, helping several others enter the Convention via the D'Hondt method.

His slogan, "make Chile a great country," drew comparisons to Donald Trump's Make America Great Again, with supporters wearing MAGA apparel at his events. His proposal to dig a moat along the Chile–Bolivia border has been compared to U.S. President Donald Trump's support for a wall along the Mexico–United States border. He skipped the primary, won by Sebastián Sichel. After the first debate, Kast surpassed Sichel as the leading right-wing candidate. He won the first round with nearly 28% of the vote, advancing to a runoff against Gabriel Boric. He then secured endorsements from most of Chile's right, including President Sebastián Piñera. In late November 2021, he met in Washington, D.C., with Senator Marco Rubio, the Chilean ambassador to the OAS, and American business executives.

In the 19 December runoff, Kast received 44.13% of the vote, losing to Boric's 55.87%. He conceded and promised "constructive collaboration." He was the first candidate since 1999 to lead the first round but lose the runoff.

2025 presidential campaign

On 29 November 2024, the Republican Party confirmed Kast as its candidate for the 2025 election, running under the Change for Chile coalition. In June 2025, he was endorsed by withdrawn candidate Francesca Muñoz and in August, he officially registered his campaign under the slogan La fuerza del cambio ("The Strength of Change"). His campaign focused on institutional renewal, public order, and economic recovery. Campaign pledges included building ditches on the northern border, mass deportations of illegal migrants, and constructing maximum-security prisons. Additionally, Kast made the Venezuelan refugee crisis a central element of his political campaign, and promised strict border enforcement and large-scale deportations.

Kast finished second in the first round on 16 November with nearly 24% of the vote, advancing to a runoff against Jeannette Jara. He received endorsements from Johannes Kaiser, Evelyn Matthei, and the Chile Grande y Unido coalition. Kast won the runoff on 14 December with over 58% of the vote, securing victories in all sixteen regions. His vote share was the second-highest since the transition to democracy, and his 7.2 million votes were the highest total in Chilean history.

Presidency (2026–present)

Kast was inaugurated as President of Chile on 11 March 2026. He assumed office without an absolute majority in Congress and will need to form coalitions with right-wing and centrist parties. The Senate is evenly divided, and the balance of power in the lower house rests with the populist Party of the People.

Kast has characterized his administration as an emergency government, focused on addressing what he describes as urgent national crises—particularly public security, economic stagnation, and irregular migration—while deferring other political concerns. His cabinet has been described by El Dínamo as technocratic, with 16 of the 24 posts filled by non-party members; all cabinet members were also required to undergo hair drug testing. The cabinet notably includes two former defense lawyers for Augusto Pinochet and Jaime Campos, a member of the centre-left Radical Party.

As president-elect, Kast warned undocumented migrants that he would deport them if they did not leave before he took office. In response, Peruvian President José Jerí declared a state of emergency along the southern border with Chile to stem an influx of undocumented migrants, primarily Venezuelans, who were attempting to leave Chile following Kast's threats of mass expulsion.

Following his election, Kast confirmed his intention to reside at La Moneda Palace, the seat of the presidency in central Santiago, together with his wife Pía Adriasola. He is the first president to live in La Moneda since Carlos Ibáñez del Campo in the 1950s.

During his first week in office, Kast launched talks with the United States on collaboration in rare-earth mineral mining. He also commenced construction of a border wall along Chile's frontier with Peru. A disaster recovery bill submitted to Congress included corporate tax cuts for large and medium-sized firms from 27% to 23%, an employment subsidy, and the elimination of property taxes for senior citizens.

One and a half months after taking office, the president's popularity declined in opinion polls, with his approval rating falling from 57% to 42%. In June 2026, his approval rating dropped to 34%, while his disapproval rating reached 52%.

Cabinet He announced his cabinet on 20 January 2026.

Kast announced the resignation of Public Safety Minister Trinidad Steinert and Government Spokesperson Mara Sedini, less than three months into his administration.

Foreign relations

Internationally, Kast has links with other right-wing figures, including support from Donald Trump. He is a founding member of the anti-communist Madrid Forum, having signed the Madrid Charter.

A supporter of Israel, Kast has accused President Gabriel Boric of antisemitism, labeling his administration's critical stance toward Israel as "ideological and irresponsible".

Following the 2026 United States strikes in Venezuela, Kast defended the operation, and said that the capture of Nicolás Maduro was "great news for the region".

In early February 2026, then-President-elect Kast went to Europe, where he visited the Transatlantic Summit and held meetings with the European Conservatives and Reformists Group and MEPs from Patriots for Europe. The visit did not include official meetings with European Union institutions.

Economic policy

José Antonio Kast has frequently been compared to the Chicago Boys, a group of neoliberal economists who played a major role during the military dictatorship and to which his brother, Miguel Kast, belonged. On 22 April, the head of state submitted to Congress a bill entitled "National Reconstruction and Economic and Social Development." The proposal aims to stimulate private investment as a means of reviving economic growth. This approach was summarized by the Minister of Finance, Jorge Quiroz, who stated that restoring competitiveness would attract investment, generate growth, and create jobs. The bill provides for a gradual reduction of corporate tax for medium-sized and large companies, from 27% to 23% over four years, as well as a reduction in value-added tax on the repatriation of capital. It also includes measures to speed up environmental impact assessment procedures and provisions to finance reconstruction efforts following the major wildfires of 2024 and 2026. These policy orientations have drawn strong criticism from the opposition. Several political leaders argue that the reform would benefit the wealthiest segments of society and exacerbate inequality. At the same time, the government amended the fuel price stabilization mechanism, leading to a sharp increase in gasoline (30%) and diesel (60%) prices. An announcement concerning the abolition of tuition-free university education for students over the age of 30 was also made, before being withdrawn following public criticism.

Personal life Kast married María Pía Adriasola on 20 December 1990; the couple have nine children. He is a practicing Roman Catholic and a member of the Schoenstatt Movement.