The resounding victory of José Antonio Kast opens a new political cycle in Chile and poses the challenge of learning from the mistakes and limitations that marked Gabriel Boric’s presidency in order to build governability in a fragmented landscape.
The decisive victory of Kast reflects the electorate’s shift toward a demand for order and certainty, highlighting the limits of political promises and the real capabilities of governance.
The resounding victory of José Antonio Kast reflects the emergence of a new political cleavage in Chile, marked by order, security, and the crisis of the state, which displaces the historic democracy–authoritarianism axis.
The 2025 presidential election confirms a profound political realignment in Chile: the historic dictatorship–democracy cleavage no longer structures voting behavior, having been displaced by a new axis of conflict that emerged from the cycle opened in 2019.
The Chilean runoff revives the dilemma between a worn-down governing coalition and a right wing that arouses democratic misgivings, raising the question of whether the country will repeat its history or open a new path.
