Jose Antonio Kast
President-elect
Timeline
Born in Santiago, Chile.
Graduated with a Bachelor of Laws from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile.
Elected municipal councillor for Buin.
First elected to the Chamber of Deputies for the 30th District.
Resigned from the Independent Democratic Union (UDI).
Founded the Republican Party (PRCh).
Won the presidential election.
Inaugurated as President of Chile on 11 March.
Biography
José Antonio Kast Rist (born 18 January 1966) is a Chilean lawyer and politician who has served as the 38th president of Chile since 2026. He previously served as a member of the Chamber of Deputies from 2002 to 2018. Born in Santiago to German immigrant parents, he graduated from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile with a law degree. Kast founded the Republican Party in 2019 and ran for president three times, winning in 2025 against Communist Party candidate Jeannette Jara. His administration, described as an "emergency government," focuses on deregulation, cutting taxes, and a hard-line policy against illegal immigration, and is broadly considered part of the radical, populist right.
Early Life & Background
Born in Santiago, Chile, José Antonio Kast is the son of German immigrants Michael Kast Schindele (1924–2014) and Olga Rist Hagspiel (1924–2015), who were originally from Bavaria. His father served as a lieutenant in the German Army during World War II and was a member of the Nazi Party. The family emigrated to Chile in the early 1950s and founded Cecinas Bavaria, a small sausage business. He is one of ten children. His brother Miguel Kast was an economist who held posts under the military regime of Augusto Pinochet, and he is the uncle of several former and current members of the Chamber of Deputies and a former senator.
Education
José Antonio Kast studied law at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, where he became involved with the Movimiento Gremialista (Guildist Movement). He graduated with a Bachelor of Laws in 1990. His undergraduate thesis was titled "Freedom of association and assembly, freedom of the press, and suffrage in José Victorino Lastarria Santander." He was admitted to the practice of law by the Supreme Court of Chile in 1991.
Political & Professional Career
Kast's political career began with involvement in youth pro-Pinochet conservative movements during his university years. He served as a municipal councillor for Buin from 1996 to 2000. He was elected to the Chamber of Deputies for the 30th District, serving from 2002 to 2014, and later for the 24th District, serving from 2014 to 2018. During his time as Deputy, he was elected head of the UDI parliamentary caucus multiple times and served as Secretary General of the UDI from 2012 to 2014. He resigned from the UDI in 2016 and founded the Republican Party in 2019. He ran for president in 2017, 2021, and 2025, winning the 2025 election and assuming office as President of Chile on 11 March 2026.
Key Achievements & Legacy
Elected President of Chile in 2025, winning the runoff against Jeannette Jara., Achieved the highest total votes in Chilean history in the 2025 presidential election., Served four consecutive terms as a member of the Chamber of Deputies from 2002 to 2018., Founded the Republican Party (PRCh) in 2019., Served as head of the Independent Democratic Union (UDI) parliamentary caucus and as Secretary General of the UDI.