Roundtable on the Chile Presidential Election
Chile has just elected José Antonio Kast, a far-right candidate, as its next president marking the biggest shift to the right since the end of the military dictatorship in 1990.
Roundtable on the Chile Presidential Election
21 Jan 2026, 13:00 – 14:30
Chile has elected the far-right wing José Antonio Kast to be its next president, after an election campaign that was dominated by themes of security, immigration and crime. Kast beat the governing left-wing coalition candidate Jeannette Jara decisively with more than 58% of the vote in his third attempt at running for president. It marks the biggest shift to the right since the end of Chile's military dictatorship in 1990.
Join us for a roundtable that brings together experts in comparative politics and international relations.
Maria Luisa Puig is Eurasia Group's Latin America Director, leading the coverage of Chile, Colombia, and Peru. She holds master's degrees in comparative politics from the London School of Economics and Political Science and in Latin American Studies from Stanford University. She earned her bachelor's degree in communications from the Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru.
Professor Sajuria's research interests include comparative political behaviour, public opinion, and political methodology. His current research focuses on electoral politics, democratic attitudes, far-right politics, and populism in Europe and Latin America. Javier holds a PhD and a MSc in Political Science from UCL and bachelor's degree in law from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.
Professor Wehner's research interests include theories of foreign policy analysis, International Relations theory and international political economy. He also conducts research on role theory in foreign policy, emerging powers (BRICS), leaders and leadership in foreign policy analysis, populism in international politics, and regional cooperation and trade strategies of Latin American states. His most recent work has been published in British Journal of Politics and International Relations, Cambridge Review of International Affairs, Cooperation and Conflict, Foreign Policy Analysis, Gender & Politics, International Studies Quarterly, International Studies Perspectives, International Studies Review, International Relations, & Journal of International Relations and Development.
Dr Lessa is the author of The Condor Trials: Transnational Repression and Human Rights in South America (Yale University Press, 2022) and Plan Cóndor: Viejos secretos y nuevos hallazgos (Reservoir Books, 2025, 2nd edition) with Sebastián Santana Camargo. She is the coordinator of the Plancondor.org Project at UCL.
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