Chile has elected 35-year-old Gabriel Boric, a leftist and former student leader, to be the nation's youngest president in history since returning to democracy in 1990 who will begin working on revising the region's Constitution.
On Sunday, Boric won a presidential runoff election after 99.95% of the ballots were counted, with the young leader getting 55.87% of the votes. This allowed him to secure victory over his right-wing rival, Jose Antonio Kast, who ended with 44.13% based on data by the Electoral Service of Chile.
Chile's Youngest President
Kast conceded the presidential election to Boric on Sunday and the new president will be sworn in on March 11. Additionally, the right-wing official congratulated his rival on his "great triumph" and said that the young leader deserved all the respect and constructive collaboration of Chileans.
President-elect Boric spoke to supporters at his campaign headquarters on Sunday night where he thanked the people of the country. "I want to begin this historical moment which is tremendously exciting, and that the eyes of Chile and the world are watching, thanking all Chileans who went to vote, honoring their commitment to democracy," said Boric, CNN reported.
Boric is a leftist millennial who rose to prominence during the anti-government protests in the last couple of years. The president-elect won against Kast despite the latter's attempts to discredit the 35-year-old's credibility by arguing that he would become a puppet of his allies in Chile's Communist Party.
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President Sebastian Pinera, a conservative billionaire who Boric will replace, had a video conference with the president-elect, offering his government's full support during the new leader's three-month transition. After his win, Boric vaulted atop a metal barricade, initiating the indigenous Mapuche language in his victory speech.
During his speech to thousands of primarily young supporters, Boric highlighted the progressive positions that became the foundation of his campaign. The list includes a commitment to fight climate change by blocking a proposed mining project in the country, which is considered to be the world's largest copper-producing nation, Actions News Jax reported.
Nation's Worries
Boric's allies, which include a coalition of leftist parties, employed more centrist advisers and made commitments that any changes to the country will be gradual and fiscally responsible. A political scientist at the University of Chile, Robert Funk, said that the people of Chile were voting out of fear. He said that neither side was particularly fond of their nominee.
On one hand, some fear that if Kast becomes Chile's president, he will enforce an authoritarian government. With Boric, many are doubtful of his abilities because of his relatively young age making him somewhat inexperienced. They are also worried about his apparent alignment with communists.
Additionally, political rules in the country could change because a newly-elected convention was working on revising the country's Constitution. In theory, the convention, which is Chile's most powerful elected institution, could call for new presidential elections when it concludes its work next year and if authorities decide that a new charter is ratified in a plebiscite, NPR reported.
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