José Antonio Kast sworn in as President of Chile.

Key facts

• José Antonio Kast assumed office as President of Chile on Wednesday, March 11, 2026.
• He defeated communist candidate Jeannette Jara in the December 2025 election and secured about 60% of the vote.
• The inauguration ceremony took place at the National Congress in Valparaíso and was attended by heads of state including Argentina’s President Javier Milei, Panama’s President José Raúl Mulino, Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa, Spain’s King Felipe VI, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado.
• Kast pledged to implement an “emergency government” focused on combating crime and irregular migration.
• He praised the U.S. operation that led to the capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and signalled closer alignment with the Trump administration.
• Kast abruptly ended the transition process after a clash with outgoing President Gabriel Boric over a submarine cable project to connect Chile and China that had drawn U.S. criticism.