giving Washington yet another regional ally in its showdown with Caracas. Kast said he supported "any situation" to do away with Maduro's government as he visited Argentina -- his first foreign trip since he easily defeated a leftist candidate in Sunday's election run-off.

Kast had campaigned on promises to deport more than 300,000 mostly Venezuelan irregular migrants, tackle crime and secure the northern border. His win confirms a right-wing lurch in Latin America, following victories for the right in Argentina, Bolivia, Honduras, El Salvador and Ecuador. It also expands President Donald Trump's support base in the region at a time when he is considering strikes on Venezuelan territory.

On a visit to Buenos Aires on Tuesday, Kast said that while Chile itself would "not intervene" in Venezuela, "if someone is going to do it, let's be clear that it solves a gigantic problem for us and all of Latin America, all of South America, and even for countries in Europe." Kast blamed Venezuela's economic meltdown and migrant outflow on the leftist Maduro, whom he called "a narco-dictator." Around seven million Venezuelans have emigrated since 2014, fleeing a severe economic and political crisis under an increasingly authoritarian Maduro. "It is not our responsibility to solve it (the Venezuelan crisis), but whoever does will have our support," Kast said. (Bssnews)