Chile’s 2021 runoff: Boric defeats Kast
Kast reached the runoff before and lost to Gabriel Boric in a high-turnout, high-stakes second round. The country framed the choice as democracy versus authoritarian nostalgia, then quickly shifted into governing arguments about reforms and security.
Boric took office with a reform mandate but faced fast-rising insecurity concerns.
By 2025, voter priorities had pivoted sharply toward order, enabling Kast’s return.
It shows how fast Chile’s electorate can swing—and how security can rewrite ideology.
