The second round of the presidential election in Chile marked the end of a series of plebiscites in Latin America in 2025. Given Chile’s geopolitical importance in the context of the struggle between world powers for rare earth metals, the personality of the newly elected president, José Antonio Kast, and his foreign policy agenda are attracting attention in the most remote corners of the world.
Who are you, Señor Kast?
Kast holds a degree in law, is a devout Catholic, and is a politician with nearly three decades of experience. His path to the presidency was far from straightforward: his current victory was his third attempt to win the highest office in the land. Kast has consistently opposed abortion, same-sex marriage, divorce, and euthanasia, defending the model of a “traditional society,” which makes him one of the most radical figures on the Chilean political spectrum.
The public is equally fascinated by his family’s origins. Kast’s parents emigrated to Chile in 1950, leaving post-war Germany. His father, Michael Kast, was a member of the Nazi party, the NSDAP, during World War II and served in the German army. This fact has become an additional source of public debate and criticism, especially against the backdrop of the new president’s active international rhetoric.
Viewing regional issues through the prism of US interests
The new president’s foreign policy worldview is shaped by the logic of ensuring sovereignty and an instrumental approach to international obligations. In his public speeches, he consistently puts forward the idea that international institutions and agreements are not self-sufficient, but must serve exclusively the national interests of the state. Now, the emphasis will shift toward benefits, security, and control.
A central element of the new course is a rethinking of relations with the United States. In Kast’s rhetoric, Washington appears not as a source of pressure or a historical “hegemon” but as a necessary strategic partner in the face of growing transnational threats. At the same time, it is fundamentally important that this is not a matter of declarative loyalty or automatic adherence to the American agenda. On the contrary, the politician consistently emphasizes the pragmatic nature of the rapprochement: cooperation is possible only where interests coincide, while distance is maintained where they diverge. He sees the US primarily as a guarantor of regional order and a key player in the fight against transnational crime, illegal migration, and drug cartels. This approach allows him to justify rapprochement with Washington while distancing himself from accusations of losing foreign policy independence.
It is already becoming clear at an early stage that this course will inevitably lead to a review of regional priorities and formats for cooperation. He views illegal migration, transnational crime, drug trafficking, and the activities of radical political groups not as social or humanitarian problems, but as factors undermining national sovereignty. For him, regional diplomacy ceases to be an instrument of symbolic integration and becomes an extension of domestic security policy.
This position is most strongly articulated in relation to Venezuela. Kast’s rhetoric towards Nicolas Maduro goes beyond traditional diplomatic criticism and is openly confrontational. He describes the Venezuelan leadership as a transnational threat whose responsibility is not limited to the internal crisis but extends to the entire region. This is where the close link between the regional and global agendas of the Kast’s: manifests itself: support for the United States’ actions against the Maduro government is not so much a manifestation of geopolitical loyalty as a logical continuation of the concept of defending the national and regional order.
At the same time, Kast demonstrates pragmatism by avoiding direct commitments to military involvement. While emphasizing Chile’s readiness to act as a political ally, he simultaneously distances himself from scenarios of direct military involvement. The Venezuelan direction thus becomes an instrument for shaping Chile’s new foreign policy identity: pro-American, anti-ideological leftist, and security-oriented.
A key element of the new regional strategy is the rapprochement with Argentina. Kast’s ideological and political closeness to Argentine President Javier Milei forms the basis for building a kind of axis of right-wing conservative governments in the southern part of the continent. This format of cooperation is based not on rhetoric about integration, but on shared views on the role of the state, the market, security, and attitudes toward left-wing regimes in the region. In the long term, such an alliance could become an alternative to traditional integration projects, offering a different, more ideologically rigid and pragmatic format for regional cooperation.
China, lithium, BRICS, and the logic of geoeconomics: between pragmatism and ideology.
While José Antonio Kast’s regional policy is based on security considerations, relations with external centers of power, primarily China, are shaped by geoeconomics. On the one hand, the country is deeply integrated into global supply chains and is objectively dependent on the Chinese market. On the other hand, Kast’s political worldview and his strategic orientation towards the West shape his cautious attitude towards Beijing as a long-term partner. In Chile’s foreign policy worldview under the new administration, China is seen primarily as an economic actor rather than a strategic ally.
Chile’s economic dependence on China is systemic. Beijing remains the country’s largest trading partner and a key buyer of copper, lithium, and a number of agricultural products. It is precisely for this reason that the rhetoric of the new Chilean leader does not include calls for a break or a radical review of relations. The focus is on technology, infrastructure, energy, and the extractive industries. In H. Kast’s interpretation, these areas go beyond ordinary commercial cooperation and take on a strategic dimension. Any deepening of cooperation with China in these areas is viewed through the prism of national security, control over critical assets, and long-term sovereignty.
Lithium will occupy a special place in this logic. For Chile, this resource has long ceased to be just an export commodity. In the context of the global energy transition and growing demand for battery technologies, lithium is becoming a strategic asset capable of influencing geopolitical dynamics. Kast sees it not only as a source of income, but also as a tool for foreign policy positioning. Control over extraction and processing chains, diversification of partners, and prioritization of Western markets are key elements of this strategy. Integrating the lithium sector into cooperation with the United States and its allies allows Chile to strengthen its role in Western supply chains for critical minerals. This does not mean automatically excluding China from the list of buyers or investors, but it does imply stricter regulation of access and a reduction in strategic dependence on a single center of power.
Kast’s skeptical attitude towards the BRICS format fits logically into this picture. In his interpretation, BRICS is perceived not as a pragmatic economic platform, but as a political and ideological project associated with the concept of multipolarity and the idea of an alternative world order. For a politician focused on rapprochement with the US and Western partners, participation in such formats carries more symbolic risks than real benefits. Distancing himself from BRICS will primarily be a matter of identification.
Overall, Kast’s geo-economic strategy is based on the principle of selectivity. Chile is not closing itself off from global markets or refusing to cooperate with major non-Western actors, but it seeks to strictly separate economic expediency from strategic trust. This makes foreign policy more manageable, but at the same time increases tensions in relations with those partners who are accustomed to viewing the economy as a ticket to political influence.
Russia, the limits of distance, and the price of strategic choice
Against the backdrop of an active reassessment of relations with the US, regional neighbors, and China, José Antonio Kast’s focus on Russia in foreign policy seems secondary, but at the same time symptomatic. The absence of detailed statements and a clearly articulated strategy regarding Russia does not indicate neutrality or openness to dialogue; rather, it points to a conscious decision to classify this track as undesirable and politically sensitive. In Kast’s perception, Russia is present mainly indirectly: through its support for the Venezuelan regime, its participation in BRICS, and its systemic confrontation with the US and its allies.
It is important to emphasize that this does not mean a break in diplomatic or economic ties. Under H. Kast, Chile will most likely maintain formal channels of interaction with Russia, limiting itself to pragmatic and minimally politicized formats. However, there is no desire to deepen cooperation or build strategic dialogue. The Russian direction is being pushed to the periphery of the foreign policy field, giving way to tracks that are directly related to security, economy, and identity issues.
The new president’s position on Israel deserves special attention. Paradoxically, it is Kast’s family history that adds extra tension to his foreign policy statements. His father’s origins, his confirmed membership in the NSDAP, and his service in the German army in the 1940s contrast sharply with the politician’s public image as one of the most consistent supporters of Israel in Latin America. Despite the fact that Chile is home to the largest Palestinian diaspora outside the Middle East (according to various estimates, about half a million people), H. Kast has taken a tough and unequivocally pro-Israel stance. During the election campaign, he repeatedly criticized outgoing President Gabriel Boric for his harsh statements against Israel and for steps that, in his opinion, undermined traditional diplomatic relations.
In March 2024, he strongly condemned the government’s decision to ban Israel from participating in the FIDAE international aerospace exhibition, saying that with this move, Boric had “once again demonstrated anti-Semitism” and placed ideology above national interests. For Kast, support for Israel has become one of the key elements of his political identity. Throughout his career, he has consistently condemned anti-Semitism, opposed international campaigns to isolate Israel, and emphasized its right to self-defense.
Taken together, all the elements of the new administration’s foreign policy form a fairly coherent, albeit rigid, structure. Rapprochement with the US, a rethinking of regional policy through the prism of security, selective pragmatism in relations with China, distancing from BRICS, and a peripheral attitude toward Russia shape Chile’s image as a state seeking to integrate into the Western coordinate system on terms of maximum control and manageability.
Ultimately, José Antonio Kast’s foreign policy is an attempt to respond to global uncertainty by simplifying the world picture: a clear division between partners and sources of threat, prioritizing security over universalism, and pragmatism over symbolism. How sustainable this model will prove to be in the long term will largely depend on the dynamics of the international system and Chile’s ability to adapt to new challenges without losing what remains of its strategic autonomy.
Artem Zuev, leading specialist at the Center for Scientific and Analytical Information at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences
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