Chilean public no longer trust President Kast as approval ratings plummet

Elected as part of an apparent right-wing surge in Latin America, Chile’s leader is facing a crisis of confidence, writes DANIELA PIZARRO

Insourcing / 12 November 2026 Privatisation doesn't balance the books 12 November 2026 Labour needs to get serious about its insourcing promises, but as recent threats to jobs at the British Library show, public-sector workers still face threats to jobs and conditions, argues FRAN HEATHCOTE

ROGER McKENZIE looks at how race and class are inseparable entities within the capitalist modus operandi

JOE DWYER looks at the remarkable figure who founded the first Republic of China, established the Kuomintang party and advocated alliances with the Soviet Union and Communist Party of China

KIERA MARSHALL MS explains why she has tabled a Senedd debate following devastating flooding in her constituency this summer

ANDREW MURRAY reflects on the causes and possible consequences of Trump’s humiliation at the mid-terms

HENRY FOWLER, co-founder, reports back from Strike Map’s Solidaritebus to Paris to join the French movement’s call to generalise the strike on November 5

“EVERYTHING will be all right” — the phrase used by Chile’s far-right President Jose Antonio Kast to convey optimism and confidence regarding the country’s future — appears to be having the opposite effect on a significant section of the population.

Since this administration took office, press reports have periodically stated: the government is facing one of its most complex political moments since arriving at La Moneda, the presidential palace. However, the controversies surrounding the executive’s poor decisions continue to mount day by day. That is why, after eight months, the public no longer believes a leader who, while a candidate, promised to do everything swiftly and flawlessly.

The latest Agenda Criteria poll, published last Sunday, confirmed the decline in public support: just 24 per cent approve of his performance, whilst disapproval stands at 67 per cent — two points higher than in the previous poll.

But beyond the figures, the poll points to a deeper political problem: a loss of confidence in the government’s ability to lead the country and fulfil the expectations it raised during its campaign.

Some 68 per cent believe that Kast’s government has little or no ability to ensure Chile’s success, compared with 23 per cent who express confidence in that possibility. Furthermore, 55 per cent consider the direction the administration is taking to be wrong, while just 26 per cent consider it to be right.

The figures also reveal scepticism regarding government planning: 48 per cent believe the government is improvising when it comes to job creation, 47 per cent hold this view regarding security, and 44 per cent regarding economic growth. In contrast, only between 16 per cent and 20 per cent believe the government has a clear plan in these areas.

The decline in the president’s approval ratings coincides with a series of controversies that have put Kast’s political narrative to the test.

In his most recent public addresses, the president has insisted on presenting security, order, authority and economic recovery as the main pillars of his administration. During his tour of Spain and Italy, he defended the idea that Chile is “back on the world stage,” linking this recovery to the rule of law, security, freedom and the attraction of investment.

In Madrid, he maintained that security is the state’s primary duty and that without security there can be no order, peace or freedom. Later, in Italy, he defended his meetings with right-wing premier Giorgia Meloni and other leading European politicians, dismissing the notion that his tour had an ideological nature and arguing that its aim was to strengthen trade, investment and job creation.

These statements came while Chile was experiencing one of the greatest political crises of his administration: the controversy over the decrees that allowed the sentences of 56 people convicted of sexual offences against minors to be reduced.

Kast’s decision to keep the Minister of Justice, Fernando Rabat, in post — despite acknowledging that what had happened was a mistake — ended up exacerbating the conflict. From Rome, Kast publicly backed the minister and called on the opposition to halt the constitutional impeachment motion it had been announcing, insisting that the government needed to focus on amending the legislation.

Criticism from the opposition has focused directly on the president’s responsibility for keeping Rabat in the cabinet and on the inadequacy of the explanations provided by the executive.

The opposition has also announced investigative measures and a possible constitutional impeachment, whilst party leaders and parliamentary group leaders travelled to La Moneda to deliver a letter to Kast demanding the minister’s resignation. In that statement, they maintained that Rabat was no longer a valid interlocutor for Chile’s parliament.

Criticism also extends to the executive’s overall leadership. On economic matters, doubts regarding growth, employment and the cost of living have become central factors in public discontent. The promise of economic recovery and job creation contrasts with a widespread perception of uncertainty.

One of the most politically significant developments is that the criticism of Kast comes from the parties supporting his administration.

The right-of-centre Renovacion Nacional expressed serious reservations regarding the decisions taken and the political handling of the controversy over the reduction of prison sentences. The party called for a review of the responsibilities involved, including those of the president’s direct advisers, and criticised the executive’s lack of foresight and co-ordination.

Although the governing parties have attempted to close ranks around the minister, differences over how to tackle the crisis reveal difficulties in co-ordination and a tension between loyalty to the executive and the need to respond to a public that is questioning its decisions.

The Cadem opinion poll, also published last Sunday, provides further relevant insights. Among the main reasons for presidential disapproval are the reduction in sentences for those convicted of sexual offences against minors, cited by 43 per cent of respondents; the slowdown in economic growth and the rise in unemployment, at 42 per cent; and the increase in the cost of living and fuel prices, at 29 per cent.

Although Cadem recorded an approval rating of 29 per cent — three points higher than in the previous survey — the disapproval rating remained at a high 68 per cent. Furthermore, 52 per cent viewed the president’s latest tour of Europe negatively, compared with 40 per cent who rated it positively.

The difference between the two approval ratings does not alter the overall assessment: the president faces disapproval from nearly seven in 10 citizens and struggles to establish a perception of effective leadership and tangible results.

Kast needs to demonstrate that his administration has the capacity to resolve everyday problems, create jobs, restore growth and deliver consistent responses on security and the protection of victims.

So far, the president’s rhetoric has placed a strong emphasis on order, authority and the restoration of international confidence. However, the results of opinion polls show that these concepts are not proving sufficient to reverse the sense of unease.

The main question facing La Moneda is whether it will be able to translate its political narrative into concrete results, or whether the gap between the expectations it raised upon coming to power and the perception held today by the majority of the public will continue to widen.

When trust begins to erode, the assurance that “everything will be all right” does not necessarily reassure the public. On the contrary, it can reinforce the perception of a disconnect between those in power and those who face the country’s difficulties on a daily basis.

This an abridged version of an article that first appeared in El Siglo (The Century) the newspaper of the Communist Party of Chile.

Features / 9 November 2026 Is Latin America’s ‘Maga right’ losing its grip? 9 November 2026 Lula’s electoral victory has disrupted what seemed like an unstoppable surge to the right in the region. ROGER D HARRIS argues that the conservative forces now face considerable challenges as the Trump era draws to a close

Latin America / 1 October 2026 What is at stake in Brazil’s knife-edge election 1 October 2026 Washington is pulling out all the stops to prevent a Lula victory and return Brazil to the fold of dependent South American states, argue CARLOS MARTINEZ and SARA VIVACQUA

Latin America / 7 July 2026 Colombia: External interference and manipulation of the electoral process 7 July 2026 ENRIQUE SANTIAGO ROMERO says the Colombian far-right’s election victory is deeply suspect — and the United States has its fingerprints all over it 

Politics / 3 December 2025 The angry tide of the Latin American far right 3 December 2025 Far-right forces are rising across Latin America and the Caribbean, armed with a common agenda of anti-communism, the culture war, and neoliberal economics, writes VIJAY PRASHAD