Kast, an ultra-conservative Catholic, won Chile’s presidential runoff in a landslide last December, taking nearly 60% of the vote with promises to be tough on crime and immigration. But almost immediately after he took office in March, his approval rating began to fall, and has now plummeted some 30 points overall. A leading reason is a recent scandal in which his justice ministry approved the early release of certain sex offenders. But voters are also upset about economic stagnation and high inflation, something that was always going to be a challenge for Kast, despite his campaign focus on crime. Kast, Chile’s most rightwing leader since the Pinochet dictatorship ended in the 1980s, is one of several leaders representing a recent rightward shift in Latin American politics — but his swift decline is a reminder that anti-incumbency in the region can still be a more powerful force than ideology.
Hard Numbers
Chile’s new president sees approval sink
Will Fitzpatrick
By Alex KlimentNovember 09, 2026
Alex Kliment
Alex wears a few different caps and tips them all regularly. He writes for the GZERO Daily, works as a field correspondent for GZERO's nationally syndicated TV show GZERO WORLD WITH IAN BREMMER, and writes/directs/voices GZERO's award-winning puppet satire show PUPPET REGIME. Prior to joining GZERO, Alex worked as an analyst covering Russia and broader Emerging Markets for Eurasia Group. He has also written for the Financial Times from Washington, DC, and Sao Paulo Brazil. In his spare time, he makes short films and composes scores for long ones. He studied history and Slavic literature at Columbia and has a Master's from Johns Hopkins SAIS. He's a native New Yorker, a long-suffering Mets fan, and owns too many bicycles.
