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Bachelet wins presidential election in Chile

Monday, December 16th 2013 - 01:46 UTC
Full article 41 comments
Presidential candidate and former President Michelle Bachelet gives the thumbs up sign during a victory rally in Santiago, Chile, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2013. Presidential candidate and former President Michelle Bachelet gives the thumbs up sign during a victory rally in Santiago, Chile, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2013.

Socialist Michelle Bachelet, who was Chile's president from 2006 to 2010, cruised to victory in Sunday's presidential runoff.

 With more than 93% of votes counted, she won 62.3% of votes, election officials said. Evelyn Matthei of the conservative Independent Democratic Union party garnered 37.7% of votes.

Bachelet will take over from Sebastian Pinera in March.

She was the first female president of Chile and left office with high approval ratings.

In 2010, Bachelet was tapped to head U.N. Women, a United Nations agency created to promote gender equality around the world.

Chilean voters first cast ballots in last month, but no candidate secured enough votes then to declare victory.

The South American country's constitution requires a presidential candidate to garner more than 50% of votes to win. Presidents are prohibited from seeking immediate re-election.

Categories: Politics, Latin America.

Top Comments

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  • Heisenbergcontext

    It's a shame the turnout ( 41% ) was so low but congratulations nonetheless Ms Bachelet. Perhaps in four years it will be Ms Matthei's turn.

    Dec 16th, 2013 - 02:31 am 0
  • so_far

    Congrats Michelle, LatAm integration on this road again.....

    Piñeira's protectorade policy over the squatters outtlaw people will suffer little but inexorable changes....lets see how deep goes :-)

    Las Malvinas son Argentinas, everybody knows that

    Dec 16th, 2013 - 02:51 am 0
  • Marcos Alejandro

    A few years ago:

    Michelle Bachelet said, “We not only support our sister republic's claims to the Malvinas islands but every year we present its case to the United Nations' Special Committee on Decolonization.”

    http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/02/23/falklands.argentina/

    Congratulations señora Bachelet.

    Dec 16th, 2013 - 05:06 am 0
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