Jose Antonio Kast, Chile's president-elect, said during his first foreign trip to Argentina that he would support efforts to remove Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro, calling his government a "dictatorship." Kast said Chile would not intervene directly but would back outside action that resolves the Venezuelan crisis. He campaigned on strict migration controls, including deporting over 300,000 irregular migrants, and proposed a South American "humanitarian corridor." Maduro angrily compared Kast to Hitler, a comment linked to controversy over Kast's father's WWII-era past, which Kast disputes.
Chile’s President-Elect Kast Backs Moves to Oust Maduro, Offers Regional Support to U.S.
Chile’s president-elect Jose Antonio Kast (L) chose Argentina for his first visit abroad as incoming leader (Handout)(Handout/Argentinian Presidency/AFP)
Chile's right-wing president-elect, Jose Antonio Kast, said during a visit to Argentina that he would support efforts to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, whom he called a "dictatorship." Speaking on his first foreign trip since winning a closely watched run-off, Kast said Chile would not intervene directly but would back "whoever" acts to resolve Venezuela's crisis.
Kast’s Stance and Campaign Promises
Kast campaigned on a tough law-and-order platform that included deporting more than 300,000 mostly Venezuelan irregular migrants, cracking down on crime, and strengthening Chile's northern border security. On the trip to Buenos Aires he repeated that deportations would be part of his agenda when he takes office in March and proposed a South American "humanitarian corridor" to help migrants return home safely.
Regional Implications
His victory is part of a broader rightward trend in Latin America following recent wins for conservative or right-leaning figures across the region. Kast's position also broadens Washington's circle of regional allies at a moment when the U.S. has publicly weighed measures — including military options — against Venezuela's government.
"It is not our responsibility to solve it (the Venezuelan crisis), but whoever does will have our support," Kast said in Buenos Aires.
Venezuela’s Crisis and Reactions
Around seven million Venezuelans have emigrated since 2014 amid a deepening economic and political collapse under Maduro's increasingly authoritarian rule. Kast blamed Maduro for Venezuela's economic meltdown and mass outflow and labeled him a "narco-dictator."
Maduro reacted angrily, likening Kast to Adolf Hitler and warning him to "watch out if you so much as touch a single hair on a Venezuelan's head." The comment referenced controversy over Kast's German-born father's wartime past; Kast has said his father was a forced conscript and denied ideological support for Nazism.
Allies And Diplomacy
Kast chose neighboring Argentina for his first international visit. Libertarian Argentine leader Javier Milei gave Kast a warm welcome, calling him an ideological ally and praising his victory as "another step forward in our region in defense of life, liberty, and private property."
Looking Ahead
Kast’s statements signal a more confrontational Chilean posture toward Caracas and a willingness to align with other regional and international actors that seek political change in Venezuela. How this posture translates into concrete policy — and whether it will influence broader regional or U.S. actions — remains to be seen.
