Chile's Presidential Candidate Kast Is a Fervent Pinochet Fan

The Republican Party candidate Jose Antonio Kast passed to the second round of Chile´s presidential elections after obtaining 27,9 percent of votes in the elections held on November 21. He is running against Gabriel Boric, representative of the left-wing Approve Dignity coalition.

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Previously, this 55-year-old lawyer also tried to reach the Presidency as an independent candidate in 2017. On that occasion, however, he achieved only 8 percent of the votes. He is a fervent Catholic.

One of his brothers held several ministerial positions during Augusto Pinochet's dictatorship (1973-1990), of which Kast is an open admirer. In the introduction to his political platform, Kast presents himself as the potential leader of a "new right," which is centered on three pillars: freedom, the defense of law and order, and the strength of family.

The Republican candidate proposes the reorganization and modernization of the police and declares himself "tired" of those who use violence as a means of political action.

Regarding international matters, Kast intends to evaluate the permanence of Chile in the United Nations Human Rights Council, "where Cuba and Venezuela are present."

Kast promises institutional and macroeconomic stability. His priority will be investments, job creation, and wage improvement, with a special interest in "the recovery of legal certainties and the development of an attractive regulatory framework" for both entrepreneurs and investors.

The presidential candidate also pursues the creation of a small and efficient state, where he seeks to get rid of "political operators" and merge certain ministries.