Leftist Gabriel Boric Wins Chile's Presidential Elections

Clinching 56 percent of the votes, the 35-year-old legislator is set to become Chile’s youngest-ever president.

Gabriel Boric.

(Photo Courtesy: Gabriel Boric/Twitter)

Gabriel Boric, a left-wing legislator who rose to prominence during the anti-government protests, was elected Chile's youngest president on Sunday, 19 December. The president-elect will take office in March 2022.

Clinching 56 percent of the votes, the 35-year-old handily defeated his far-right opponent José Antonio Kast by a huge margin. In an effort to sway votes, Kast's campaign revolved around the relative inexperience of Boric and warned that his election would upend Chile's vaunted record as Latin America's most stable, advanced economy.

However, Kast readily admitted defeat and tweeted a photo of himself on the phone with Boric, congratulating him on his "grand triumph."

Outgoing President Sebastian Pinera – a conservative politician and billionaire – held a video conference with Boric to offer his government's full support during the transition.

In a televised appearance with Pinera, Boris said, "I am going to be the president of all Chileans." He added, "I am going to do my best to get on top of this tremendous challenge."

The election came two years after the widespread social uprisings in 2019 due to the public anger over economic inequality. The protests led the way for the political rise of the progressive left and redrafting the country's Pinochet-era Constitution.

Boric is a former student leader of the Federation of Students at the University of Chile in Santiago. He led the protests in 2011, demanding improved and cheaper education.

(With inputs from the Associated Press, Aljazeera.)