Outgoing Chilean President Gabriel Boric prepares for handover to right-wing successor Jose Antonio Kast

President Gabriel Boric hands power to Jose Antonio Kast on March 11, ending a term defined by democratic leftism and making way for a hardline conservative shift.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 6, 2026, 8:42 AM EST

Source: The information in this article was sourced from Foreign Policy

The conclusion of a millennial presidency

Gabriel Boric, who took office in 2022 at the age of 36 as Chile's youngest-ever president, is preparing to conclude his term this Wednesday. Boric rose to political prominence following the 2019 anti-government protests and campaigned on an ambitious platform to replace the country's neoliberal economic model and rewrite its dictatorship-era constitution. While two separate attempts to draft a new constitution ultimately failed in public referendums, Boric’s tenure has been credited with establishing a distinction between the authoritarian and democratic left in Latin America. His administration was notable for its vocal criticism of human rights abuses in Venezuela and Russia's invasion of Ukraine, often setting him at odds with older leftist leaders in the region.

Shifting political priorities and security

The latter half of Boric's term saw a pragmatic shift in policy as his administration responded to rising public concerns over crime and migration. Despite his initial progressive stance, Boric shuffled his cabinet to include moderate members and implemented more aggressive border controls and security measures. By the end of his term, Chile recorded a decrease in both homicides and irregular migration, leadng commentators to describe his government as one that provided essential stability during a period of intense national transformation. These domestic adjustments were accompanied by a foreign policy that prioritized feminist diplomacy, the energy transition, and the ratification of the High Seas Treaty.

Victory for the ultra-conservative right

Jose Antonio Kast, the 59-year-old leader of the Republican Party, secured a landslide victory in the December 14, 2025, runoff election with 58.2 percent of the vote. Defeating the governing coalition’s candidate, Jeannette Jara, Kast campaigned on a "Plan Implacable" to restore state authority through tougher penalties for organized crime and the mass deportation of undocumented migrants. His victory represents the most significant rightward shift in Chilean politics since the return to democracy in 1990. Kast has cited Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele’s security strategies as an inspiration for his own proposed crackdowns on crime.