Chile

Weeklong rainstorms have battered Chile and killed at least 10 people. Authorities on Tuesday raced to reach more than 100,000 cut off by flash floods in what has been one of the country's worst weather disasters in decades. Torrential rains and strong winds have battered the usually arid northern regions of Atacama and Coquimbo. The government declared a state of disaster on Monday.

For the first time since he was an infant, Kyle Adler boarded a plane in February to meet his birth mother.

Chile's new president is a devout Catholic in a country that has grown increasingly secular but retains conservative traits in various areas. José Antonio Kast's faith resonates with some supporters, even as analysts say it may shape — but not immediately change — policy on issues such as abortion and LGBTQ+ rights.

Chile has sworn in its most right-wing president in decades — and his rise, and ideology, are rooted in a small town beneath the Andes.

A team of researchers say that human-caused climate change had an important impact on the recent ferocious wildfires that engulfed parts of Chile and Argentina's Patagonia region, making the extremely high-risk conditions that led to widespread burning up to three times more likely than in a world without global warming.

In a runoff held on Dec. 14, 2025, José Antonio Kast, a Republican Party ex-congressman and two-time former presidential candidate, won just over 58% of the vote, while his opponent, Jeannette Jara, the left-wing labor minister of current President Gabriel Boric, won nearly 42%.

José Antonio Kast, a far-right politician, who has praised Chile's dictatorship, has won the presidency, signaling a sharp rightward shift fueled by fears over crime, migration, and the economy.

Chile has passed a bill outlawing the use of mobile phones and other smart devices during classes at elementary and middle schools. The new law approved late Tuesday will take effect next spring. It will make Chile the latest country to restrict smartphone use among young students to reduce its harmful effects and curb classroom distractions.

In Chile, a hard-right former lawmaker and admirer of U.S. President Donald Trump is leading in the presidential runoff. José Antonio Kast, an ultraconservative lawyer, has gained traction after nearly 70% of votes went to right-wing candidates in Sunday's first round.

COMMENTARY Latin America's inability if not refusal to make its law enforcement more 21st-century has only helped open the door to Trump's use of 20th-century-style military intervention in the region.

Chile’s Antumapu Folkloric Ballet will come to Miami for the first time in its more than 50-year history, presenting a program of emblematic folk dances at the Miami Beach Bandshell. The company, dedicated exclusively to traditional folk dances of its country, performs at 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 3 in a free performance.

Chilean families are having only one child on average. U.S. birthrates are also dropping but it's unclear whether the U.S. will follow into the growing group of "very low" birthrate countries.