Johannes Kaiser was born in Santiago on 5 January 1976 into a family of German Chileans. His paternal grandfather, Friedrich Ernst Kaiser Richter, was a social democratic activist who fled Nazi Germany in 1936, settling in Chile where he later served as mayor of Villarrica.[10][11] His father, Juan Cristián Kaiser Wagner, was active in the National Party.
Kaiser attended several schools, including the German School of Santiago and the Bernardo O'Higgins Military Academy for his final high school years.[12] He subsequently enrolled in law at Finis Terrae University but did not complete his degree. He later studied at Heidelberg University in Germany and the University of Innsbruck in Austria, but graduated from none of these institutions.[13]
During his time in Austria, he worked as a freelance sports journalist for FC Wacker Innsbruck.[14]
Media career and early activism
In September 2013, Kaiser launched his political YouTube channel, El Nacional-Libertario, which has amassed over 100,000 subscribers.[15] The channel became a platform for his right-libertarianism and social-conservative views, often featuring content critical of immigration, feminism, and what he termed "globalist" agendas.
His election was immediately overshadowed by controversy when a 2018 video resurfaced in which he made sarcastic comments questioning women's suffrage in the context of the New Year's Eve sexual assaults in Germany.[20] The resulting backlash led Kaiser to resign from the Republican Party, though he continued to sit with their parliamentary caucus as an independent.[21]
During his term, Kaiser served on committees for Human Rights and Indigenous Peoples, National Defense, Interior Government and Regionalization, and Ethics and Transparency.[15] He rejoined the Republican Party in September 2022[6] but resigned again in January 2024 after internal conflicts over the party's position in the 2023 Chilean constitutional plebiscite, where Kaiser voted against the official party line.[8]
2025 presidential campaign
On February 19, 2024, Kaiser announced his presidential candidacy for the 2025 Chilean presidential election.[22] He initially considered participating in the Chile Vamos primaries but later ruled this out, citing disagreements with the coalition's policies.[23]
Key proposals of his campaign include reviving the controversial HidroAysén hydroelectric project, reinstating Santiago's traditional "yellow buses," drastically reducing the number of government ministries, implementing stricter immigration controls, and strengthening gun ownership rights.[25]
He officially registered his candidacy with the Electoral Service on August 14, 2025,[26] and finished fourth in the first round with 13.93% of the vote.[9]
Statements on women's suffrage and sexual violence
In 2018, Kaiser made sarcastic comments about women's suffrage in the context of the New Year's Eve sexual assaults in Germany, suggesting that women who voted for pro-immigration parties were voting against their interests.[20] The comments resurfaced during his 2021 election campaign, leading to accusations of misogyny and his temporary resignation from the Republican Party.[21]
He later clarified that his comments were taken out of context and that he was criticizing what he saw as voting against one's interests, not opposing women's suffrage.[31]
Comments on historical human rights abuses
In 2021, Kaiser stated that victims of the Pisagua case executions during the military dictatorship were "well shot" and claimed that in Chile "too little shooting was done."[32] The Santiago Court of Appeals ordered the removal of the videos containing these statements and imposed a fine, ruling that they constituted hate speech.[33]
Support for military coup
During his 2025 presidential campaign, Kaiser stated he would "without a doubt" support a military coup under circumstances similar to those preceding the 1973 Chilean coup d'état.[34] The comments drew widespread condemnation across the political spectrum.[35]
Vaccine skepticism
In 2025, Kaiser questioned Chile's vaccination program, suggesting vaccines "work with heavy metals" and advocating for reconsideration of mandatory immunization.[36] Health experts strongly rebutted his claims, noting vaccines do not contain heavy metals and warning against spreading misinformation.[37]
He married Ivette Avaria Vera in 2022, with whom he has one daughter. He has two other children from previous relationships.[41] The family practices Orthodox Christianity.[42]
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