Chile Elects Gabriel Boric As President

The Chileans elected Gabriel Bolick as president-elect on Sunday, leaving young left-wing lawmakers to help shape the future of a nation currently working on a new constitution. At the age of 35, Bolick is far more liberal than President Salvador Allende, who died in the coup of 1973, bringing about a brutal 17-year dictatorship.

Bolick will be in the final stages of a long-standing initiative to draft a new constitution that could bring about significant legal and political changes on issues such as gender equality, indigenous peoples' rights and the environment. Based on widespread dissatisfaction with factions that have switched power over the past few decades, Mr. Borick has reduced inequality, resulting in a significantly expanding social safety net, more generous pensions, and a more green economy.

President Elect defeated José Antonio Kast, a far-right former MP who wanted to portray Bolick as a radical communist destroying one of the region's most solid economies. The race is the most polarized and bitter in recent history, giving Chileans very different views on issues such as the role of the state in the economy, the rights of historically marginalized groups, and public safety.

The new president will help shape efforts to replace the Chilean Constitution since 1980, when the country was still under military junta. Chileans overwhelmingly voted for the new draft last year. Borick, leader of the Left Union's Frente Amprio, strongly supports efforts to update the Charter, which began in late 2019 with a wave of protests. 

In contrast, Mr. Kast strongly opposed the establishment of a constitutional council that elected Chileans. The members of the convention see the rise of Mr. Kast as an existential threat to their work, for he can mobilize resources and convince voters that the president rejects the  revised constitution. However, Bolick will likely find it difficult to make a big difference, said Claudio Fentes, a professor of political science at Diego Portales University in Santiago.