Jos� Antonio Kast, a far-right firebrand and vocal supporter of Israel, has secured the Chilean presidency after winning Sunday�s runoff election with 60% of the vote, marking a dramatic rightward turn for one of Latin America�s most politically polarized nations.

Kast, the son of a former Nazi officer, will succeed President Gabriel Boric, a progressive who made headlines for severing diplomatic ties with Israel in the wake of the October 7 Hamas attacks. The president-elect has long criticized Boric�s foreign policy as ideologically driven and �irresponsible,� vowing throughout his campaign to restore ties with Jerusalem and recalibrate Chile�s global posture.

�Chile’s foreign relations are too relevant to prioritize the whims of a president over the interests of the Nation,� Kast posted on X earlier this year, referencing Boric�s exclusion of Israel from a major air show.

Kast�s victory comes despite his uncompromising stance on Israel in a country with the largest Palestinian diaspora outside the Middle East. His rhetoric on the Hamas attack, Iran’s aggression, and Chile�s national security struck a chord with voters anxious about global instability and domestic unrest.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)