‘GRAND TRIUMPH’

Former Student Activist Wins Chile Election, Will Be Country’s Youngest President

Thirty-five-year-old Gabriel Boric said he was “going to be the president of all Chileans” after polling stations reported he had 56 percent of the vote.

Leftist Gabriel Boric was elected president of Chile on Sunday, soundly trumping his right-wing agitator opponent at the polls with promises of better social services, higher taxation, and greater protections for the environment. With 99 percent of ballots counted, Boric nabbed 56 percent of the vote, with lawmaker José Antonio Kast taking only 44 percent. Kast quickly conceded the race on Sunday, tweeting a photo of himself calling Boric to congratulate him on his “grand triumph.” Kast wrote that Boric, who rose to prominence after leading student protests in 2014, “deserves our respect and constructive collaboration.”

The conservative’s recognition of defeat broke from his attitude on the campaign trail, where he repeatedly attempted to paint Kast as a dangerous communistic force seeking to destroy Chile. Boric, 35, will become Chile’s youngest modern president, and perhaps its most progressive since President Salvador Allende, who was overthrown in a brutal military coup in 1973. Appearing next to outgoing President Sebastian Pinera, Boric said he was “going to be the president of all Chileans” and that he would “give the best of me to rise to this tremendous challenge.” He will take office in March, as the government grapples with an attempt to draft a new Constitution.