José Antonio Kast facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
José Antonio Kast
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Kast in 2025
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| Member of the Chamber of Deputies | |
| In office 11 March 2014 – 11 March 2018 |
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| Preceded by | María Angélica Cristi |
| Succeeded by | Constituency abolished |
| Constituency | District 24 (La Reina and Peñalolén) |
| In office 11 March 2002 – 11 March 2014 |
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| Preceded by | Pablo Longueira |
| Succeeded by | Jaime Bellolio |
| Constituency | District 30 (Buin, Calera de Tango, Paine and San Bernardo) |
| Member of the Buin City Council | |
| In office 6 December 1996 – 6 December 2000 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
José Antonio Kast Rist
18 January 1966 Santiago, Chile |
| Political party | PRCh (since 2019) |
| Other political affiliations |
UDI (1996–2016) Independent (2016–2019) |
| Spouse |
María Pía Adriasola Barroilhet
(m. 1991) |
| Children | 9 |
| Parent | Michael Kast (father) |
| Relatives |
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| Alma mater | Pontifical Catholic University of Chile |
| Occupation | Lawyer • Politician |
| Signature |  |
José Antonio Kast Rist (born on January 18, 1966) is a Chilean lawyer and politician. He is currently a candidate for president in the 2025 Chilean general election. This is his third time running for the country's highest office.
Kast was born in Santiago, Chile, into a family that had immigrated from Germany. He served as a member of the Chamber of Deputies (a part of Chile's parliament) from 2002 to 2018. He represented areas like Peñalolén and La Reina. He was a member of the Independent Democratic Union party until 2016. After that, he became an independent politician before forming the Chilean Republican Party in 2019. He also started a group called Republican Ideas to share political thoughts.
He first ran for president as an independent in the 2017 Chilean general election. In 2021, he ran for president again. He won the first round of votes but lost in the second round to Gabriel Boric. From 2022 to 2024, he led an international group called the Political Network for Values. Kast is known for his strong views on law and order and for supporting economic policies that favor free markets. He also holds traditional views on social topics.
Contents
José Antonio Kast's Early Life and Education
Family Background and Childhood in Chile
José Antonio Kast's parents, Michael Kast Schindele and Olga Rist Hagspiel, came from Germany. They moved to Chile in the 1950s and settled in Buin. The family started a sausage factory called Cecinas Bavaria in 1962. This business helped the family become successful. José Antonio was one of ten children.
His older brother, Miguel Kast, was an economist. Miguel worked for the government during the time of Augusto Pinochet. José Antonio Kast is also the uncle of Felipe Kast, who is a senator.
Studying Law and Early Political Involvement
Kast studied law at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. There, he became involved with a student group called the Guildist Movement. He even ran for president of the university's student federation.
As a student, Kast appeared on television to support extending Augusto Pinochet's rule for eight more years in a 1988 vote. After finishing his studies, Kast started his own law firm in 1990. He also worked as a director for a real estate company owned by his family.
José Antonio Kast's Political Journey
Serving in Local and National Government
Kast began his political career as a councilman in Buin from 1996 to 2000. In 2001, he was elected to the Chamber of Deputies. This is a national legislative body, similar to a parliament. He represented District 30, which included San Bernardo.
During his time as a deputy, Kast was the Secretary General of the Independent Democratic Union party. He later left this party to run for president. He gained support from religious leaders for his views on traditional family values.
First Presidential Campaign in 2017
On August 18, 2017, Kast officially registered as an independent candidate for president. He gathered many signatures to support his candidacy. He was supported by various groups who held right-wing and conservative views. These groups included retired military personnel.
Kast's campaign focused on ideas like "less taxes, less government, and supporting the protection of unborn life." He also proposed government programs to manage who enters the country. He received 523,213 votes in the 2017 Chilean general election, which was about 7.93% of the total votes. He finished in fourth place. In the second round of the election, he supported Sebastián Piñera, who eventually won. Kast also said that the state should support religious education in schools.
Building New Political Movements (2018–2022)
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Kast suggested closing the border with Bolivia to help fight crime. In 2018, he asked the government to end diplomatic relations with France over a political asylum case.
In March 2018, Kast faced strong protests during a tour of Chilean universities. He claimed that some universities tried to prevent him from speaking.
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In April 2018, Kast started a new political group called Republican Action. He supported Jair Bolsonaro in the 2018 Brazilian general election. In May 2019, he created a think tank called Republican Ideas. In June 2019, he founded the Chilean Republican Party.
Kast spoke out against the large protests that happened in Chile from 2019 to 2021. He described them as acts of violence. As public support for the protests decreased, Kast gained support from Chileans who wanted more order. In the 2020 vote about changing the Constitution, he was a main supporter of rejecting the change. However, the change was approved by a large majority.
In the 2021 election for the group that would write the new Constitution, Kast's party joined with another group called Chile Vamos. They formed a list of candidates called Vamos por Chile. This list received 20.6% of the votes. In the 2022 Chilean constitutional referendum, the Republican Party supported rejecting the proposed new Constitution, and this option won.
Second Presidential Campaign in 2021
In 2018, Kast announced he would run for president again in the 2021 Chilean general election. This time, he ran with his own Republican Party. He formed a political agreement called the Christian Social Front with the Christian Conservative Party.
Kast's campaign ideas included supporting humanitarian considerations for elderly or seriously ill inmates. He also proposed strengthening border security and building more prisons. His campaign slogan, "make Chile a great country," was compared to Donald Trump's slogan in the United States.
Kast did not participate in the Chile Vamos primary election. After the first television debate, Kast's support grew, and he became the leading right-wing candidate. He received the most votes in the first round of the election, nearly 28%. This allowed him to move to the second round against Gabriel Boric.
After his success in the first round, many right-wing groups in Chile supported Kast, including President Sebastián Piñera. Internationally, Kast connected with other conservative leaders. He signed the Madrid Charter, a document from a Spanish party called Vox. He also met with Republican United States Senator Marco Rubio in Washington, D.C.
On December 18, 2021, Franco Parisi, another former presidential candidate, endorsed Kast. In the second round of the election on December 19, Kast received 44.13% of the votes. He lost to Gabriel Boric, who became Chile's new president. Kast accepted his defeat and promised to work together constructively.
Leading the Political Network for Values (2022–2024)
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From March 2022 to December 2024, Kast served as president of an international conservative group called the "Political Network for Values."
Constitutional Council in 2023
In 2023, a group called the Constitutional Council was formed to write a new Constitution for Chile. Kast's party initially opposed creating this council. However, once it was clear the process would go forward, they decided to participate.
In May 2023, Chileans elected 51 members to this council. Kast's Republican Party won 23 seats, making them the largest group. In November, the party decided to support the "In Favor" option in the December vote on the new Constitution. However, the "Against" option won, and the proposed Constitution was rejected. José Antonio Kast acknowledged the campaign's outcome.
2025 Presidential Campaign
In November 2024, the Republican Party confirmed José Antonio Kast as its candidate for the 2025 Chilean general election. The party chose not to join with other groups for primary elections.
In August 2025, Kast officially registered his campaign. His slogan is La fuerza del cambio (“The Strength of Change”). His campaign has focused on ideas like improving government, strengthening public order, and helping the economy grow.
José Antonio Kast's Political Views
Kast is known for his conservative views. He supports free-market economics and policies that emphasize law and order. He has described elections as a choice "between freedom and communism." He often says his position is "the right, plain and straightforward," meaning he prefers clear ideas. He has different views on climate change, focusing on other priorities.
Internationally, Kast has shown admiration for leaders who prioritize national independence, strong security, or market-focused reforms. These leaders include Nayib Bukele, Donald Trump, Jair Bolsonaro, Alberto Fujimori, Javier Milei, Giorgia Meloni and Santiago Peña.
On immigration, Kast believes that managing borders effectively is important for keeping social order. He supports strong border security. His idea for a ditch along the Chile-Bolivia border to reduce people entering illegally has been compared to Donald Trump's idea for a wall on the Mexico–United States border. Regarding culture, Kast wants to "defend Chile's European heritage and national unity."
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In social matters, Kast holds views that align with traditional Christian beliefs. He supports the protection of unborn life and traditional family structures. He believes the state should support married women with social benefits.
For public safety, Kast argues that the government must act with clear authority, especially in areas with ongoing violence. He supports strengthening the Carabineros de Chile (Chilean police) and increasing the government's presence in communities to restore trust.
Kast's view of Chile's military government has focused on its economic changes and reforms. He believes that historical events should be judged carefully, separating individual actions from the broader changes in the country. He has supported humanitarian considerations for elderly or seriously ill inmates, emphasizing that such decisions must follow legal rules.
José Antonio Kast's Personal Life
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Kast is married to María Pía Adriasola. They have nine children together. He is a practicing Catholic and a member of the Schoenstatt Apostolic Movement.
See also
In Spanish: José Antonio Kast para niños
