Kast to take office as Chile marks its sharpest shift to the right since dictatorship
ABC News
Ultraconservative José Antonio Kast takes office as president in Chile after a landslide win promising tough action on crime and immigration
SANTIAGO, Chile -- Chile's ultraconservative José Antonio Kast takes office as president Wednesday in what will mark the Latin American nation’s most pronounced shift to the right since the return of democracy in 1990.
The Trump-inspired political veteran won a landslide victory in December against government-backed communist candidate Jeannette Jara with the promise of fighting crime and curbing illegal immigration, a project that holds similarities to policies adopted by his U.S. counterpart.
On the international stage, the lawyer and leader of the Chilean Republican Party comes to power at a geopolitical crossroads, caught between the United States striving to regain its influence in Latin America and China, the main trading partner for both Chile and much of the region.
“U.S.–China rivalry in Latin America has moved from rhetoric to implementation,” said Mariano Machado, an analyst with risk intelligence company Verisk Maplecroft.
The inauguration of Kast, 60, comes with great anticipation, he said, noting that the focus remains on both a closer alignment with the White House and the administration’s capacity to negotiate with other key partners.
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