The Ultra-Conservative Who Vows to Save Chile From Communism
This Sunday’s election pits Jose Antonio Kast, a religious free-market advocate against the youthful leftist Boric
This article is for subscribers only.
On the campaign trail, he has a formal bearing. Father of nine, opponent of gay marriage and abortion, the light-haired, blue-eyed lawyer vows to slash taxes and dig a deep ditch against immigration. Chile’s election this Sunday, he says, is a contest between liberty and totalitarianism.
Jose Antonio Kast, 55, considered a fringe candidate four years ago when he took just 8% of the vote, is today within shouting distance of winning the presidency. If he beats opponent Gabriel Boric -- the race is close with many undecided -- he would be, by far, the most conservative president of Chile in three decades.