Chile’s Kast Government Congratulates Lula

CHILE · POLITICS

Chile’s conservative president phoned Lula to congratulate him on his fourth-term win in Brazil. He promised joint work on economic integration and organised crime.

The Kast government congratulates Lula on the Brazil election after Chile’s president phoned him on Sunday, 25 October. José Antonio Kast, a conservative, wrote that the two countries have “a lot of future in common”.

Lula won a fourth term in the Brazil election runoff, according to the TSE, the country’s electoral court. Chile’s Foreign Ministry also issued a statement that night congratulating him as Brazil’s next president, La Tercera reported.

How Chile Congratulated Lula After the Runoff

Kast wrote on X that he had just spoken with Lula and congratulated him on the result, BioBioChile, T13 and Chilevisión reported. BioBioChile published its report at 10:39 p.m. on Sunday, 25 October, Chile time.

Kast said both countries would keep working on an agenda of economic integration and the fight against organised crime in the region. The reports give no dates, projects or figures for that agenda.

The Foreign Ministry called Brazil a strategic partner with 190 years of diplomatic ties, La Tercera reported. It said Chile wants to deepen those links through continued political dialogue.

The Brazil Result Behind the Message

The TSE results file gives Lula 64,256,232 votes (51.79%) against 59,826,041 (48.21%) for Flávio Bolsonaro, a senator. That is a margin of about 4.4 million votes.

Lula, of the left-wing Workers’ Party, governed from 2003 to 2010 and returned in 2023. His fourth term is due to start on Tuesday, 5 January 2027.

Flávio Bolsonaro said it is impossible to recognise the result and that he will seek annulment of the runoff, Meganoticias reported. Chilevisión also reported that he has not accepted defeat.

A Relationship With a Rocky Start

Lula skipped Kast’s handover on Wednesday, 11 March, citing “reasons of agenda”, The Clinic reported. Brazil’s government feared awkward moments, as Kast’s team had invited Flávio Bolsonaro.

The presidents later met at the Mercosur summit in Paraguay, and Lula invited Kast to visit Brazil, Emol reported on 4 July. Delegation members told Emol that Kast would wait until the elections were settled.

Foreign Minister Francisco Pérez Mackenna then visited Brasília and São Paulo from Monday, 3 August, Pauta reported. He met his counterpart Mauro Vieira to discuss security, trade, investment, mining and energy.

What Chile and Brazil Trade

Bilateral trade reached US$12.75 billion in 2025, Pauta reported, making Brazil Chile’s main partner in Latin America and third worldwide. Emol notes that a free trade agreement was signed in 2018.

From January to August 2026, Chile exported US$3.51 billion to Brazil and imported US$4.88 billion, Emol reported. That leaves a Chilean deficit of about US$1.36 billion, with salmon and trout exports of US$682 million.

Other Leaders Who Congratulated Lula

Panama’s José Raúl Mulino, Paraguay’s Santiago Peña, Peru’s Keiko Fujimori and Ecuador’s Daniel Noboa also congratulated Lula, Infobae and Cooperativa reported. They stressed cooperation and integration rather than ideology.

Former Chilean presidents Gabriel Boric and Michelle Bachelet also congratulated Lula, Chilevisión reported. Neither holds office, so their messages are not government positions.

What It Means for US Readers

For US investors and businesses, nothing in the sources points to a direct change in US-Chile or US-Brazil trade. The signal is political: conservative governments in the region, including Chile’s, are choosing to work with Lula.

For the US side, see How Washington Reacts to Lula’s Win and Brazil Awaits US Tariff Offer After Lula Win. The Chile hub, the Chile explained guide and the explainer What Lula’s Fourth Term Means for Chile and the Region add context.

What Is Not Known

The time of Kast’s call is not given in the reports. It is not known whether Flávio Bolsonaro has filed a formal annulment petition.

It is not known whether Kast and Lula have fixed a meeting or when Kast might visit Brazil. Nothing in the sources says how Chile would respond to a Bolsonaro challenge to the result.

What Comes Next

Lula is due to take office on Tuesday, 5 January 2027, and the electoral court must first deal with any challenge. Kast’s message does not commit Chile to any specific trade or security measure.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did Chile’s government congratulate Lula?

Yes. President José Antonio Kast phoned Lula on Sunday, 25 October, and posted on X; the Foreign Ministry also issued a statement.

Who won Brazil’s runoff?

Lula won with 51.79% (64,256,232 votes) against Flávio Bolsonaro’s 48.21% (59,826,041 votes), according to the TSE results file. He starts a fourth term on Tuesday, 5 January 2027.

What did Kast say they would work on?

He named economic integration and the fight against organised crime in the region. The reports give no dates, projects or figures for either.

How big is trade between Chile and Brazil?

Pauta reported US$12.75 billion in 2025. Brazil is Chile’s main trading partner in Latin America, and a free trade agreement was signed in 2018.

Is Chile’s relationship with Lula close?

It started awkwardly, as Lula skipped Kast’s March handover. The two have since met, and Chile’s foreign minister visited Brazil in August.

Sources: BioBioChile, 25 October; T13; Chilevisión; Meganoticias; La Tercera; The Clinic; Emol, 4 July; Emol, 6 October; Pauta; Infobae; Cooperativa; Brazil electoral court (TSE) results file (all accessed 26 October 2026).