VICTORY

Pinera Wins Chilean Presidency

Ends era of center-left rule.

Sebastian Pinera defeated Eduardo Frei in a close race for president Sunday, taking 52 percent of the votes. The last conservative leader left office in 1990, and Chile has since been under center-left rule. Pinera is now the first democratically elected conservative leader, and he has already promised what the BBC calls a "tough law-and-order programme" and also assured he will boost the economy with his "business know-how." Additionally, Pinera said he would uphold former president Michelle Bachelet's social policies, as they were popular among voters. Pinera is a billionaire businessman whose claim to fame is introducing credit cards to Chile.