U.S. Secretary Rubio congratulated Chilean President-Elect José Antonio Kast on his victory in the presidential runoff, posting the statement on X between 11:16 p.m. and 11:47 p.m. UTC on December 14, 2025, according to https://x.com/SecRubio/status/2000347698726330735. Rubio stated, "Congratulations to Chilean President-Elect [@JoseAntonioKast] on his victory. The United States looks forward to partnering with his administration to strengthen regional security and revitalize our trade relationship." The message follows U.S. Rep. Carlos Giménez's congratulations posted earlier between 10:48 p.m. and 11:15 p.m. UTC, where he expressed anticipation for close collaboration to counter communism and violence in the hemisphere, according to https://x.com/RepCarlos/status/2000335033018761705. Early runoff results reported by AlertaNews24 showed Kast leading Jeannette Jara 59.83% to 40.17% with 4.46% of votes counted, as detailed in reporting windows ending at 10:48 p.m. UTC. Social media updates by X user @maps_black during prior periods classified Chile as a new center-right government.
