José Antonio Kast (Santiago, 59 years old) is preparing to complete his third attempt to reach the presidential seat of the La Moneda palace after the 2017 and 2021 campaigns. The candidate of the Republican Party, also supported by the Social Christian Party, will be the one who will face Jeannette Jara, standard bearer of the governing party and who reached the ballot as leader.
The former deputy and former militant of the UDI, of the traditional right, focused his speech on the issues of security and migration under the concept of Emergency government. In this way the standard-bearer avoided touching on complex issues for his sector such as abortion and human rights violations during the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet (1973-1990). She also focused on the criticism leveled at President Gabriel Boric, who could not avoid responding to the attacks.
Economy
The Republican has marked the economic debate with two proposals that have been criticized by both the ruling party and the traditional right. One of the most controversial is the $6 billion tax cut over 18 months. Kast did not detail the formula he will use to make the adjustment, though he said he will take steps to reduce expenses, such as ending the apitolated (officials who obtained their positions through influence) and with the regulation in the issuing of medical licenses. In pensions, the candidate said he will promote the hello loanmeasure which aims to put an end to the 1.5% loan of citizens to the State defined in the pension reform promoted by the Boric Administration. The ultras have insisted that their proposal to reduce spending will not affect the provision of social benefits, including the guaranteed universal pension (PGU) – in its campaign it spread the phrase I love you PGU to underline its intention to maintain profit. On tax matters, the candidate promised to eliminate contributions (land tax) on the first home.
public safety
Kast presented the Relentless Plan, a proposal that, according to the candidate, aims to stop the advance of organized crime in the country. “Chile works in reverse: criminals are free and honest citizens live locked up. The Relentless Plan is the firm response that millions of Chileans have been waiting for,” he said. Among the initiatives in this plan are the installation of maximum security prisons and total isolation for drug kingpins; the end of narco-funerals; toughening sanctions for members of criminal gangs; a review of the enforcement of self-defence – ending the “criminalisation of victims who defend themselves”, according to the standard-bearer; and create a task force for the recovery of areas occupied by crime. The ultra-conservative is against the death penalty and has said the harshest sentence a person should face is life imprisonment.
Migration
During his 2021 presidential campaign, where he lost in the second round to President Boric, the Republican had proposed the creation of a ditch at the Chilean border to stop the irregular entry of foreigners. One of the most striking ideas is funding around 2,000 flights to deport undocumented migrants to their home countries, for a sum of up to $300 million. Kast also said that in his eventual government he will try to get migrants to “cooperate” and pay for their return ticket.
