Jose Antonio Kast has become Chile鈥檚 president on his third attempt, bringing the far-right to power by pledging a 鈥渇irm hand鈥 on security and order.
The 59-year-old lawyer and father-of-nine has vowed to deport hundreds of thousands of undocumented migrants, mostly Venezuelans.
His message struck a chord with voters who worry about insecurity, even though data shows crime rates are not as dire as is commonly believed.
Kast today had a thumping 58% of the votes and his rival conceded defeat.
With more than 10 million votes counted - almost 70% of the total - Kast had an unassailable lead over Jeannette Jara, a Communist Party member heading a broad leftist coalition.
Born in Santiago, Kast studied law at the city鈥檚 Catholic university and has been a politician for 30 years.
His legislative achievements were limited to passing laws allowing the construction of statues, granting a nun a Chilean passport and laws regulating lotteries.
A staunch Catholic, he broke from Chile鈥檚 mainstream conservative party in 2016 to found the more radical Republican Party.
He opposes abortion in cases of rape, and is against emergency contraception, divorce, same-sex marriage, and euthanasia.
He once forbade his lawyer wife, Maria Pia Adriasola, from using birth control pills.
He has also expressed admiration for the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, a general who was responsible for the deaths of more than 3000 Chileans.
The youngest of 10 siblings, he inherited a successful sausage business from his German immigrant parents.
His father is believed to have been a member of the Nazi Party and fought in World War II.
Kast has said it was a forced conscription, and he did not believe in Nazi ideology.
During the campaign, Kast has appeared behind bulletproof glass and admitted to carrying a revolver.
Still, biographer Amanda Marton described him as 鈥渟ober, pragmatic, calm, compared to other far-right leaders鈥.
Unlike Brazil鈥檚 former president Jair Bolsonaro, Argentina鈥檚 current leader Javier Milei or the United States鈥 Donald Trump, Kast is seen as reserved and cautious.
鈥淗e鈥檚 far more conservative and lacks charisma,鈥 said Robert Funk, a political scientist at the University of Chile.
Supporters say a calm demeanour is part of his appeal.
鈥淗e doesn鈥檛 insult or provoke,鈥 said retiree Maria Eugenia Rosas, 69, in the central city of Temuco.
But former colleagues describe him as authoritarian: 鈥淵ou鈥檙e with him or against him鈥, recalled journalist Lily Zuniga.
鈥淗e feels born for greatness,鈥 Zuniga said.
A campaign spokesperson praised his persistence and work ethic, arguing he can be flexible when needed.
In his winning run, Kast downplayed his conservative agenda and focused on security and migration.
Analyst Claudia Heiss says 鈥渉e hasn鈥檛鈥 moderated.
Kast has warned undocumented migrants to 鈥減ack your things and leave鈥.
He has claimed immigration is a plot by the 鈥渞adical left鈥 to end freedoms and that immigrants are taking homes, hospital beds, and government funds from Chileans.
鈥淭hey told us that they can鈥檛 close the borders and now we can鈥檛 open our windows for fear of violence,鈥 he said.
His rise comes amid a conservative wave sweeping Latin America and after Trump鈥檚 re-election in the US.
-Agence France-Presse
Take your Radio, Podcasts and Music with you
Get the iHeart App
Get more of the radio, music and podcasts you love with the FREE iHeart app. Scan the QR code to download now.
Download from the app stores
Stream unlimited music, thousands of radio stations and podcasts all in one app. iHeart is easy to use and all FREE
