From left, presidential candidates Franco Parisi of the Party of the People, Jeannette Jara of the Unidad por Chile coalition, Marco Enriquez-Ominami of the Progressive Party, Johannes Kaiser of the National Libertarian Party, Jose Antonio Kast of the Republican Party, Eduardo Artes of the Proletarian Action Party, Evelyn Matthei of the Chile Vamos coalition and Independent Harold Mayne-Nicholls gesture prior to a debate ahead of the November general elections, in Santiago, Chile, Monday, Nov. 10, 2025.
Supporters cheered, flags waved, and AC/DC blared across a Santiago rally as a fiery speech filled the air. The candidate shouted about the rise of violent crime in Chile and blamed it on uncontrolled migration. At first glance, the scene echoed a Donald Trump rally in the United States.
But this was Chile — and the man on stage was Johannes Kaiser, a radical libertarian reshaping the tone of the Chile presidential race.
Kaiser’s final campaign event ahead of Sunday’s election captured a growing frustration in the country. Concerns about migration, border security, and crime have pushed nearly every major candidate to adopt tougher stances, even those from traditionally left-wing parties.
A Powerful Shift to the Right
Kaiser’s supporters want what they call a “firm hand.” Many accuse migrants, especially Venezuelans, of fueling new waves of violent crime. Red caps reading “Make Chile Great Again” reflected the mood.
Claudia Belmonte, 50, summed up the sentiment: “He’s the only one strong enough to close the borders and get us out of the United Nations.”
Their frustration stems from the arrival of transnational gangs like Tren de Aragua, linked to kidnappings, extortion, and carjackings. Chile once ranked among Latin America’s safest nations. Now many Chileans say the criminal landscape feels unfamiliar and frightening.
“For the first time, people fear what’s happening on their street,” said Carlos Jadué, a fruit vendor. “A gang buries someone alive near your home, and everything changes.”
From Hopeful Left Turn to a Tough Law-and-Order Agenda
The shift is dramatic. Only four years ago, Chile elected millennial leftist Gabriel Boric, heralded as a new progressive voice. He vowed to end neoliberalism after massive protests in 2019 known as “el estallido.”
Today, anger has taken a new shape. Analysts say rising nativism boosts far-right candidate José Antonio Kast, who finished second in 2021. While he may not reach 50% in Sunday’s first round, polls suggest he could face Communist candidate Jeannette Jara in a December runoff.
A Kast victory would align with regional rightward turns in countries like Argentina, Bolivia, and Ecuador.
“There’s a structural push to the right across Latin America,” said Michael Albertus of the University of Chicago. “Migration and crime are major drivers.”
Old Anger, New Direction
Plaza Italia, the epicenter of Chile’s 2019 unrest, remains a symbol of unfinished business. A defaced statue removed for “temporary” restoration still hasn’t been replaced. Protesters view the empty plinth as proof that inequality persists. Critics see the protests as the start of lawlessness.
Some former leftists say the unrest itself changed them.
“I watched chaos take over. That’s when I turned,” said Sebastian Jaramillo, who now supports Kaiser.
Experts say the anger of 2019 never vanished. It simply mutated — this time toward migrants instead of the political system.
Left and Right Compete on Migration Hardline
In the Chile presidential race, migration fears have blurred ideological lines.
Even Communist candidate Jeannette Jara promises to deploy the military to Chile’s borders and expand prisons. She supports raising the minimum wage but has dropped plans to nationalize mining and avoids challenging Chile’s market-driven economy.
Political scientist Robert Funk notes a surprising consensus: “This may look like extremes battling. But there’s broad agreement on immigration and fiscal restraint.”
Kast, a staunch Catholic who opposes abortion and same-sex marriage, has muted his cultural positions. Instead, he focuses on sweeping deportations and border crackdowns. His past controversies, including his father’s Nazi Party ties, barely surface.
Yet Kaiser still positions himself as the tougher option.
Immigrants Brace for a Hostile Climate
Chile’s immigrant population has doubled since 2017. About 1.6 million migrants now live in the country. Crime rose sharply between 2019 and 2022, though homicides have fallen in the past two years.
Still, rhetoric is intensifying. Kast recently warned undocumented migrants to “sell what you have” before being forced to leave with nothing.
Rights groups say hate-driven violence is rising.
One recent case involved Yaidy Garnica Carvajalino, a 43-year-old Venezuelan baker shot by a neighbor after racist insults.
“We’re drowning in a manufactured discourse of hate,” said lawyer Braulio Jatar. “It spreads like a contagion.”
As Chile heads toward the polls, migration fears and crime are shaping the future of the nation — and pushing its politics further to the right than at any point in recent decades.
