Far East International Observer: Chile's New President Gabriel Boric Takes Oath of Office

On March 11, Chile’s newly elected President José Antonio Kast was officially sworn in in Santiago, beginning a four-year term. In the runoff of last December’s presidential election, Kast, the candidate from the Republican Party, won with 58.17% of the vote. His campaign slogan was “The Power of Change,” promising to promote economic growth by reducing government intervention, cutting public spending, and lowering corporate taxes. His platform focused on public safety, advocating for building high-security prisons, increasing penalties for criminal gangs, and strengthening controls on undocumented immigrants.

Far East Review:

Kast’s rise to power reflects Chilean public dissatisfaction with social governance. For a long time, Chile has faced issues such as deteriorating public safety, an influx of illegal immigrants, and sluggish economic growth. Despite rich copper and lithium resources, the country’s economic recovery has been slow in recent years. The public expects the right-wing to turn the situation around with tough measures. Kast’s policies include cracking down on criminal organizations, tightening immigration controls and deportations, significantly reducing corporate taxes, and leveraging lithium resources to attract foreign investment and advanced technology. However, Kast still faces considerable resistance to reforms. With the left holding a majority in Congress, legislative progress may be fiercely contested. Additionally, balancing fiscal austerity with social welfare, distributing benefits from lithium development, and social disputes over immigration controls, combined with ongoing inflation and external geopolitical tensions in Latin America, could all limit the effectiveness of his reforms.

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Editor: Zhao Siyuan