Argentine President Javier Milei arrived in Chile to attend the inauguration ceremony of José Antonio Kast as the new Chilean leader. The investiture takes place this Wednesday at noon in the National Congress of Valparaíso, signaling a shift to the right in the neighboring country. Although a bilateral meeting was planned, it was canceled due to scheduling issues.
Javier Milei landed in Santiago on Tuesday night with his sister Karina Milei, the general secretary of the Presidency, to attend the handover ceremony from Gabriel Boric to José Antonio Kast. The event, scheduled for 12 noon in the National Congress of Valparaíso, marks a significant shift in Chilean politics: Kast, an ultraconservative and economically liberal figure, assumed office with 55% of the votes, the highest percentage in Chile's history.
Milei's attendance aims to strengthen the affinity between the two leaders, who share views on free markets and security policies aligned with Washington. Sources from the Casa Rosada state that the trip consolidates a regional alliance of right-wing governments in Latin America. A dozen presidents are attending, including Bolivia's Rodrigo Paz, Uruguay's Yamandú Orsi, and Ecuador's Daniel Noboa, though Brazil's Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is absent.
A planned bilateral meeting was suspended at the last minute due to 'agenda issues.' After the ceremony, Milei will return to Buenos Aires at 3 p.m. and then travel to Spain to close the Foro Económico de Madrid on March 14 at the Palacio de Vistalegre, an event focused on economy, investment, and artificial intelligence.
Kast, son of a Nazi militant who emigrated to Chile in 1950, promises to cut public spending, lower corporate taxes, and toughen immigration policies, linking migration to organized crime.
