Six months into far-right presidency, Chileans wait for results

Six months into José Antonio Kast's presidency, Chile's unemployment has reached 9.5%, up 10.4% from a year earlier, and consumer prices rose 4.1%, leaving vendors at Santiago's La Vega market describing shrinking sales and rising costs. Kast's approval has fallen to 31%, with 55% disapproving, according to the Criteria poll, and he has acknowledged failing to fix unemployment, promising private-sector partnerships instead.

Security, a central campaign promise, has seen mostly a continuation of previous administrations' policies plus increased police visibility, according to University of Chile political scientist Gonzalo Parra. The government has introduced a constitutional amendment bill that would expand executive security powers and allow states of emergency up to 120 days without full congressional approval, which Parra compared to tools used to erode accountability in Venezuela, Nicaragua and El Salvador.

Kast sought closer alignment with the Trump administration through the Shield of the Americas coalition against drug trafficking, but scholar Gilberto Aranda said the relationship hasn't matched Kast's expectations, complicating Chile's position between US pressure and its deep trade ties to Asia.

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