Chile's right-wing candidate Kast wins presidential election

WASHINGTON, Dec 15 (KUNA) -- Chile's right-wing Republican Party candidate, 59-year-old Jose Antonio Kast, won the presidential election becoming Chile's 38th president and ending the rule of the current leftist government.
According to Chile's electoral commission, Kast received approximately 58 percent of the vote, compared to about 41 percent for his opponent, Jeannette Jara of the ruling left-wing, who conceded defeat after the majority of votes were counted.
Kast, described as the most right-wing president in Chile's history, will assume office on March 11. He promised to deport around 340,000 undocumented immigrants, most of whom are Venezuelans fleeing the crisis in their country. His campaign had focused on combating rising crime rates in Chile.
The first round of the Chilean presidential election was held on November 16, but no candidate received more than 50 percent of the vote, leading to a runoff between Kast and Jara, who received the highest percentage of votes.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio congratulated Kast on his election as Chile's president, expressing his country's desire for greater bilateral cooperation in several areas, most notably combating illegal immigration and strengthening trade relations.
In a press statement issued Sunday evening, Rubio said that the US congratulates Kast on his election victory, emphasizing that Washington is "Confident Chile will advance shared priorities to include strengthening public security, ending illegal immigration, and revitalizing our commercial relationship." (end) amm.mjb.res