This week Chile elected the devout Catholic and father of nine José Antonio Kast to serve as the country’s 35th president. He will take office on 11 March 2026 after a decisive run off victory that has redrawn the country’s political map. He won the second round on 14 December with 58.16 per cent of the vote, defeating Jeannette Jara and reversing his first round placing a month earlier.
Kast framed the election as a national turning point, telling supporters in Santiago during his election speech: “It’s a special day. It’s a day that stays with us, a day that stands out among the different days when things happen. And this is a day of joy.” He added: “But nothing would be possible if we didn’t have God. And that’s something we can’t fail to acknowledge,” before praying that the Lord would give him “wisdom, temperance, and strength, to always be up to this challenge.”
