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'We did it!' Chile's Boric seals leftist revival with election win

Middle East

20-12-2021 | 01:48

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'We did it!' Chile's Boric seals leftist revival with election win

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Chilean leftist Gabriel Boric won the country's presidential runoff election on Sunday, capping a major revival for the country's progressive left that has been on the rise since widespread protests roiled the Andean country two years ago.

In downtown Santiago, supporters cheered, embraced and waved flags with Boric's image, as well as rainbow flags of LGBT groups that have backed his socially inclusive policies as well as plans to overhaul Chile's market-orientated economic model.

"We did it!" 39-year-old Paola Fernandez said tearfully as she hugged her daughter, adding she was happy because of Boric's progressive policies.

With over 99% of ballots counted, Boric, 35, who leads a broad leftist coalition, had 55.86% of the vote, compared with 44.14% for far-right rival Jose Antonio Kast, who conceded defeat.

"I just spoke to @gabrielboric and congratulated him on his great success," Kast said on Twitter. "From today he is the elected President of Chile and he deserves all our respect and constructive collaboration. Chile is always first."

The protests in 2019 shone a spotlight on economic inequality and triggered an official redraft of the constitution.

"I am going to be the president of all Chileans," Boric said in a call with center-right President Sebastian Pinera, who will step down in March.

REUTERS

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