US EditionChilean hard right victory stirs memories of dictatorship
Kast’s win raises fears of pardons for agents jailed for crimes against humanity and cuts to institutions preserving Pinochet-era memory, with over 3,200 victims affected, human rights groups say.
- In Chile's Sunday runoff, Jose Antonio Kast won, reviving the ghosts of Augusto Pinochet's dictatorship despite winning less than 8% of votes.
- During his campaign, Kast defended Pinochet-era figures and supported pardons for about 140 former agents, praising Miguel Krassnoff, saying, `I know Miguel Krassnoff and seeing him I can't imagine all the things they say about him`.
- Victims' relatives described decades-long searches: Alicia Lira said soldiers seized her partner Felipe Rivera in 1986 and Gaby Rivera said `I spent more of my life searching for my father than living with him` after finding his remains in 2001.
- Many fear immediate cuts to the Museum of Memory and hundreds of human-rights institutions, while Alicia Lira called pardons 'horrific' and vowed continued resistance.
- Decades on, memory work remains central as Chile returned to democracy 35 years ago, yet activists say 'the suffering is still alive,' recalling over 3,200 dead or missing.
45 Articles
45 Articles
Video - José Antonio Kast won the second round of the Chilean presidential election with 58.2% of the vote. His election marks a turn to the far right in the country, only 35 years after the end of the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet.
José Antonio Kast's decisive victory in Chile's presidential elections marks an unprecedented political milestone since the return to democracy: for the first time, a far-right candidate will reach La Moneda with a clear mandate from the polls. Victory not only draws a conservative turn in Chilean politics, but also tests the civic maturity of a society accustomed to alternations between center-left and center-right.
Alejandra Ojeda, Chilean political analyst: “It’s the biggest victory the right wing has had since the return of democracy” | Chilean elections 2025 | José Antonio Kast
The ultraconservative José Antonio Kast, who has defended the legacy of the Chilean dictator, will be the next president of the country The post The ultraright wins in Chile for the first time since Pinochet's dictatorship first appeared on Junior Report.
On Sunday 14 December, the Chileans elected populist José Antonio Kast, admirer of the author of the coup d'état of 11 September 1973. A major turning point in a fractured country, where memorial work with regard to the dictatorship is still a fight.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 67% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
