Chile's president Jose Antonio Kast, the country's most right-wing leader since the Pinochet era ended in 1990, has decided that the best cure for sagging approval ratings is a healthy dose of crackdown energy - and lots of it.
According to France24, the 60-year-old leader used his very first address to Congress to unveil a package of tough-on-crime and tough-on-migration measures. The centerpiece? A so-called "vandal" registry, which would presumably track the kind of people whose idea of political expression involves a spray can and someone else's wall. Because nothing says "I mean business" like bureaucratizing your disdain for graffiti.
The full crackdown menu
The new measures don't stop at cataloguing vandals. Kast also announced longer detention periods specifically targeting migrants, a policy that will almost certainly ignite fierce debate in a country that has seen significant immigration waves in recent years, particularly from Venezuela and other Latin American nations.
Kast took office in March 2026, and the timing of this announcement - less than three months into his term - is telling. His approval numbers have reportedly taken a hit, which is a surprisingly relatable problem for a man who campaigned on the political equivalent of a cold shower and a stern lecture.
Context that actually matters
Kast's political identity is not subtle. He has been openly compared to other hard-right figures globally, and his rise to Chile's presidency marks a sharp ideological turn for a country that only a few years ago was drafting one of the most progressive constitutions in the world (which voters ultimately rejected - twice).
His critics argue that criminalizing migration and expanding surveillance registries echoes some of the darker chapters of Chilean history. His supporters, meanwhile, see a leader finally willing to address what they describe as a genuine security crisis.
The bottom line
Whether the vandal registry becomes a landmark policy or an elaborate punchline remains to be seen. What is clear is that Kast is doubling down on the platform that got him elected rather than tacking toward the center - a bold move for a president whose honeymoon period appears to already be checking out of the hotel.
The coming months will reveal whether Chilean voters respond to the tough-guy posturing or whether Kast joins the long list of leaders who confused loudness with effectiveness.
