35-yr-old, Leftist, millennial: Meet Chile's new President Gabriel Boric

Updated : Dec 20, 2021 08:33
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Editorji News Desk

A leftist millennial who rose to prominence during anti-government protests was elected Chile's next president on Sunday after a bruising campaign against a free-market firebrand opponent who was termed as Chile's Donald Trump.

Gabriel Boric has won 56 per cent of the votes, compared to 44 per cent for his opponent, lawmaker José Antonio Kast.

"I am going to be the president of all Chileans," Boric said in the brief televised appearance with Pinera.

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Boric will become Chile's youngest modern president when he takes office in March. He was among several activists elected to Congress in 2014 after leading protests for higher quality education.

On the stump, he vowed to "bury" the neoliberal economic model left by Gen. Augusto Pinochet's 1973-1990 dictatorship and raise taxes on the "super-rich" to expand social services, fight inequality and boost protection of the environment.

Kast tweeted a photo of himself on the phone with his opponent congratulating him on his "grand triumph" as supporters of Boric gathered in downtown Santiago to celebrate. Outgoing President Sebastian Pinera held a video conference call with Boric to congratulate him.

chilePresident

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