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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
John Bartlett in Paine

José Antonio Kast, the Pinochet fan about to swerve Chile to the far right

A man and a woman wave Chilean flags on stage in front of a crowd of supporters also waving flags
José Antonio Kast celebrates with his wife María Pía Adriazola after winning the presidential election in December 2025. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images

Just south of Santiago, the tiny rural town of Paine is a quiet grid of painted adobe facades, shaded squares and shuttered shop fronts as the summer holidays draw to a close.

But the white-knuckle fear of crime that propelled its most famous son, José Antonio Kast, to a resounding victory in December’s presidential election is as present in sleepy Paine as it is the length of Chile.

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