If you’ve been keeping an eye on South American politics lately, you know Chile is basically in the middle of a massive vibe shift. It’s a bit of a whirlwind. As of right now, in early 2026, Gabriel Boric is still the President of Chile, sitting in the La Moneda palace in Santiago. But here is the thing: he is effectively a "lame duck."
In December 2025, the country went to the polls and chose a completely different path. José Antonio Kast, a staunch conservative often compared to leaders like Jair Bolsonaro or even Donald Trump, won a decisive victory in the runoff election. He’s the president-elect, set to take over on March 11, 2026.
Honestly, the transition is kinda tense. You have Boric, the youngest president in Chile's history, trying to wrap up a legacy that started with high-octane hope and is ending with a lot of "what ifs." Meanwhile, Kast is waiting in the wings with a mandate to basically undo much of what the current administration stood for. It’s a classic case of political whiplash.
The Gabriel Boric Era: Why the "Millennial President" Struggle Was Real
When Boric took office in 2022, people thought he was going to fundamentally rewrite the Chilean social contract. He came out of the 2011 student protests—a former activist with tattoos and a refusal to wear ties—promising to bury the neoliberal model that had defined Chile since the Pinochet era.
It didn't exactly go to plan.
One of the biggest hurdles was the Constitution. Chile tried twice to replace its 1980 charter. The first draft was way too radical for most people; the second was too conservative. Both failed. This left Boric in a tough spot. He had all these big plans for universal healthcare and massive tax reforms, but without a new constitution and with a split Congress, his hands were mostly tied.
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What actually got done?
Despite the "failure" narrative you see in some headlines, Boric didn't just sit there. His government actually pushed through some pretty significant stuff:
- The 40-Hour Work Week: This was a huge win for labor. It’s being phased in gradually, but it’s a real change for the average worker.
- Minimum Wage Hikes: He bumped it up to about $585 (in equivalent pesos), which was one of the largest jumps in two decades.
- Lithium Nationalization: Well, "nationalization-lite." He launched a strategy where the state takes a majority stake in lithium mining but still works with private companies.
- Environmental Wins: He’s been a massive advocate for the Escazú Agreement and protecting Chile’s crazy-long coastline.
But here’s the kicker. While he was doing all that, the "real world" issues—crime and migration—started boiling over. That’s what ultimately cost his coalition the 2025 election.
The Rise of Jose Antonio Kast: What Really Happened
So, how did Chile go from a tattoo-sporting leftist to an ultra-conservative who wants to dig a ditch at the border? Basically, people got scared.
Safety became the only thing anyone talked about. In the last couple of years, Chile saw an uptick in violent crime and organized gang activity—stuff that used to be rare in what was once the "oasis" of South America. Combine that with a massive wave of Venezuelan migration, and you have a recipe for a right-wing surge.
Kast ran on a platform of "Order and Liberty." He promised an iron fist. He’s talking about building actual barriers on the northern border and creating an "emergency government" to tackle security. He won 58% of the vote in the December 2025 runoff against Jeannette Jara. That is a massive margin for Chile. It shows that even people who might not like Kast's social views (he’s very traditional, Catholic, and anti-abortion) were willing to vote for him just to feel safe again.
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What Most People Get Wrong About the President of Chile
There’s a common misconception that Chile is "broken" or "swinging wildly."
In reality, Chile has this weirdly consistent habit of alternating power every four years. Since 2009, the incumbent party has never won a consecutive term. It’s like the Chilean voters get tired of whoever is in charge within about 24 months and start looking for the polar opposite.
Another myth is that Boric is a "radical communist." If you look at his actual governance, he’s been surprisingly fiscally responsible. He kept Mario Marcel—a former Central Bank chief—as his Finance Minister to keep the markets calm. He’s also been one of the few left-wing leaders in Latin America to openly criticize authoritarian regimes in Venezuela and Nicaragua. That actually made him some enemies on the far left.
The Immediate Future: What to Expect in March 2026
When Kast takes over in a few weeks, don't expect a total revolution. Just like Boric, he is going to run into the "Congress Problem." His Republican Party doesn't have an absolute majority. He has to play nice with the center-right and some independents to get anything through.
The "Ditch" and the "Wall": While Kast campaigned on tough border measures, actually building a wall across the Andes or the Atacama Desert is... well, it's a logistical nightmare. Expect more military presence and faster deportations rather than a literal Great Wall of Chile.
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Economic Shift: We are likely to see a push for deregulation. Kast wants to shrink the state and cut public spending by billions. This could trigger more social unrest if people feel like social services are being gutted.
Lithium and Copper: This is the big one for the global economy. Kast will likely be way more open to private investment and might try to walk back some of Boric's state-led lithium policies.
Practical Insights: If You’re Watching Chile
If you are an investor, a traveler, or just someone who cares about geopolitics, here is what you need to keep in mind:
- Watch the "Social Outbreak" Risk: Chileans are quick to protest. If Kast's austerity measures go too deep, we could see a repeat of the 2019 "Estallido Social."
- The Venezuela Connection: With the recent news of U.S. operations against the Maduro regime in early 2026, the migration situation might change. If Venezuelans start heading back home, the pressure on Kast to be "ultra-tough" might ease up.
- Institutional Strength: Despite all the political drama, Chile’s institutions (like the Central Bank and the Judiciary) remain some of the strongest in the region. The "rules of the game" usually hold.
The presidency in Chile is a tough gig. You start as a hero and usually leave with an approval rating in the 30s. Boric is currently navigating his final exit, focusing on regional development in places like Magallanes, while Kast is busy picking a cabinet that can actually govern without starting a civil war in Congress.
Keep an eye on the inauguration on March 11. That's when we'll see if Kast's "iron fist" is actually possible or if the reality of Chilean consensus-building forces him to moderate.
Next Steps for Following the Chilean Presidency:
- Monitor the Cabinet Appointments: Look for who Kast appoints as Interior and Finance ministers in February; this will tell you if he's going "hard right" or "moderate right."
- Track the Peso: Currency fluctuations in early 2026 will reflect how the global market views the transition from Boric’s state-led model to Kast’s market-driven approach.
- Follow the Security Legislation: Watch for the first "Security Omnibus" bill Kast sends to Congress in late March, which will be the litmus test for his ability to govern.