Among artists it is often a source of pride to say how many stadiums of the Movistar Arena they have filled. This Tuesday afternoon, although there was also music, around 14,000 participants, according to the command, came to listen to a political speech. Republican José Antonio Kast decided to close his campaign in the space usually used for concerts with a successful appeal, similar to American demonstrations, but unusual in Chile. “The third time’s the charm,” said the far-right presidential candidate referring to his third attempt to reach La Moneda (2017 and 2021).
His speech focused on the practically immovable lines of his entire campaign: security, immigration control and the attack on the government of Gabriel Boric and the left-wing candidate Jeannette Jara. “Jara is Boric and Boric is Jara. Nothing you say or do can change this. You are the successor of a failed government,” he said in front of his followers who waved Chilean flags distributed by the republican team.
The majority of participants, mostly young people and middle- and upper-class adults, and, at first glance, more female than male, said they will vote for Kast this Sunday, November 16, because they want a “tough hand” on crime and see that Chile needs “a change, a radical change.” Those interviewed for this report see in the libertarian Johannes Kaiser a bet that is too extreme and in Evelyn Matthei, of the traditional right, a politician with precedents behind her, but with contradictory positions.
Kaiser, according to the latest known polls, is closing in on Kast in support, but it would be a surprise if it wasn’t the Republican who went to the second round with Jara. Matthei, who will end his campaign on Thursday, like Kaiser himself, was moved to fourth place by the Libertarian.
Kast’s strategy of focusing his campaign on security, immigration control and the economy, and not talking about issues of individual liberties or defending the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, as he did in his two previous candidacies, was appreciated by some in attendance. “I voted null in 2021 because Kast seemed very extreme to me, but I think in recent years he has moderated. Now Kaiser is the extreme,” said David Burgos, 27, a nursing technician from the southern city of Punta Arenas. “He’s the one who represents me the most, but if one of the three on the right wins, I don’t care, the fact is that Jara doesn’t come out,” said Alma Leiva, 48, a bank analyst.
After the Chilean cumbia band Viking 5 lit up the atmosphere with songs usually heard at New Year’s parties and weddings, a video was shown introducing Kast as a politician who for years has been advocating for the Carabineros and the closure of the border to stop the entry of irregular migrants, with video clips from previous dates in which he was seen making statements to this effect. The thousands of attendees clapped and shouted louder than any other issue, such as education or the economy. Margarita Morales, a 68-year-old retiree, reflects the struggle of many with foreigners. “The doors were very open to migrants. Now when you get in an Uber and there’s a Chilean driving, you want to hug him,” he said.
Kast, who arrived on stage at 9 p.m. accompanied by his wife, Pia Adriasola, an ultra-conservative like him, he recalled that 3,000 days ago, together with a small group, they had presented their first presidential candidacy. “They told us it was impossible, they laughed, they underestimated us, but here we are: stronger, more mature and more convinced than ever,” the candidate said. “You are the reflection of what we have built in these 3,000 days,” he added in front of a stadium shouting: “You feel it, you feel it, President Kast.” Among the audience were Republican leaders, deputies and parliamentary candidates of the party. Also three mayors of Chile Vamos, the coalition that officially supports Matthei: José Manuel Palacios (UDI), of La Reina; Gustavo Alessandri (RN), from Zapallar; and Rodrigo Contreras (UDI), from Paine. On two occasions, the Republican underlined how hard the road has been, where, he said, there have been “hits” and “insults”, and he congratulated the “courage” with which his followers have defended their ideas.
“It’s not about presidential elections, it’s about recovering our country,” he said in a speech in which he spoke of putting the family back at the center and putting an end to waiting lists in health centers. “We want a country where criminals are afraid and citizens walk free,” he said. Kast ultimately declared himself the winner of the election. The polls, before the ban of 15 days before the elections, show him as such in the run-off. He said that this event was the end of a first stage, but that then the second stage would come on December 14 and they would arrive in La Moneda on March 11, 2026. “Everything will change, everything will be fine,” he assured. He took his leave asking God for strength and wisdom. After finishing the speech he returned to the microphone to thank his wife and family.
