Chile’s incoming far-right President, José Antonio Kast, has sent a chilling signal to human rights advocates by appointing two former lawyers of the dictator Augusto Pinochet to his cabinet, shattering promises of a centrist "national unity" government.

Kast, who won a decisive victory in December 2025, has named Fernando Barros as Defense Minister and Fernando Rabat as Minister of Justice and Human Rights. Both men were part of the legal team that defended Pinochet’s brutal regime, which was responsible for the torture and disappearance of thousands. The move confirms the worst fears of Chile's progressives: that the new administration intends to roll back decades of social progress.

A Hard Turn to the Right

The appointments are accompanied by the selection of a staunch anti-abortion activist to lead the Ministry of Women and Gender Equity. This signals a direct assault on reproductive rights in a country that only recently decriminalized abortion under specific circumstances.

• The appointees: Fernando Barros and Fernando Rabat, directly linked to the defense of human rights abuses.
• The agenda: Strict "law and order," mass deportation of migrants, and a potential repeal of gender equality laws.
• The reaction: Protests are already mobilizing in Santiago, with opposition leaders calling the cabinet "a cabinet of revenge."

Echoes of Autocracy

The resurrection of Pinochet-era figures serves as a grim reminder of how fragile democracy can be. For observers in Africa, where the legacy of authoritarianism is also a living memory, Chile’s trajectory is a cautionary tale. It demonstrates how populist rhetoric about security and "traditional values" can be a Trojan horse for the return of repressive governance.

As Kast prepares to take office in March 2026, the world watches to see if Chile’s vibrant democracy can withstand the weight of its own dark history returning to power.