The Rising tide of the Right in Latin America: Chile‘s Kast and a Regional Shift Towards Authoritarianism
For decades, Chile has navigated a political landscape defined by a delicate balance between center-left and center-right governance. However, the recent election of José Antonio Kast marks a meaningful departure, signaling a broader, and increasingly concerning, trend towards authoritarianism sweeping across Latin America.This shift, fueled by anxieties over immigration, economic hardship, and disillusionment with conventional political establishments, echoes a ancient pattern of right-wing resurgence in the region, one with deeply unsettling implications for democratic institutions and human rights.
A Nation Grappling with Change and Fear
Kast’s victory wasn’t born in a vacuum. Chile, a nation of nineteen million, has experienced a dramatic influx of approximately two million migrants in the past decade. While immigration can bring economic benefits, the rapid scale of this influx has triggered anxieties, and, crucially, been exploited by political actors. Similar to narratives seen in the united States, these new arrivals have been scapegoated for a perceived rise in violent crime, a claim that requires nuanced examination but has nonetheless resonated with a segment of the Chilean population.
Kast’s response has been uncompromisingly hardline. He has pledged to deport over 300,000 undocumented migrants, with a particular focus on those from Venezuela, and to construct maximum-security detention centers to house others. His plans extend beyond deportation,encompassing the construction of physical barriers - fences and ditches – along chile’s borders with Bolivia and Peru,mirroring increasingly restrictive border policies globally. These proposals, while appealing to a base concerned about national security and economic strain, raise serious questions about Chile’s commitment to international humanitarian law and its long-held reputation as a relatively open society.
Echoes of a Regional Trend: Milei and the Chainsaw Ideology
Kast’s election isn’t an isolated event. It’s part of a larger regional wave, exemplified by the rise of Javier Milei in Argentina. Milei, a self-described “anarcho-capitalist,” has captivated supporters with his provocative rhetoric and promises of radical economic reform. His signature prop – a chainsaw – symbolizes his intention to drastically slash government spending, a message that resonates with voters frustrated by perceived economic mismanagement and government overreach.
The alignment between Kast and Milei is striking. Following his victory, Kast traveled to Argentina to meet with Milei, and the two posed for photographs with the symbolic chainsaw. Milei himself attributes the success of the Latin american right to voter fatigue with ”suffocating taxation” and the perceived failings of left-wing governments – accusations of inefficiency, privilege, and hypocrisy. Since assuming office in 2023, Milei has already dismantled half of Argentina’s ministries, demonstrating a commitment to his radical agenda. Crucially, Milei’s management enjoys the backing of the United States, which has provided billions in bailout money to alleviate Argentina’s substantial debt, a relationship that underscores the geopolitical dimensions of this regional shift.
A Shadow of the Past: Pinochet and the Question of Historical Memory
The resurgence of the right in Chile is particularly fraught given the nation’s recent history. The specter of Augusto pinochet’s brutal dictatorship (1973-1990) looms large. Kast’s potential cabinet appointments further amplify these concerns. He has indicated a willingness to include figures like Evelyn Matthei, whose father was a general under Pinochet, and johannes Maximilian Kaiser Barents-von Hohenhagen, a self-described “paleolibertarian” and “reactionary” who openly advocates for the release of individuals convicted of torture and murder during the pinochet regime.
Kaiser’s extreme views – including calls for entirely closing the border with Bolivia and reopening detention camps – represent the most radical edge of the Chilean right. While Kast often couches his own views on this sensitive topic in more diplomatic language, he has echoed Kaiser’s sentiment regarding the release of aging repressors, framing it as a matter of “respect” for those with terminal illnesses.
This rhetoric is deeply disturbing considering the ongoing efforts to address the legacy of the Pinochet dictatorship. In 2023, on the 50th anniversary of the coup, President Gabriel Boric launched a national search plan to locate the approximately 3,000 citizens who remain missing consequently of state-sponsored violence. Tens of thousands of Chileans survived attacks by their own government or lost loved ones during this period. Kast’s potential policies threaten to undermine these efforts at reconciliation and accountability, reopening old wounds and perhaps emboldening those who seek to whitewash the
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