MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chile launches Bachelet's candidacy for UN top position

Boric described Bachelet as “a figure capable of building bridges”

During his message before the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, Chilean President Gabriel Boric Font officially nominated former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet as a candidate for the next UN Secretary-General.

“It is a tremendous honor for me to announce here that Chile will nominate our former president Michelle Bachelet Jeria as a candidate for the United Nations Secretary-General,” Boric said.

He also emphasized that the position of Secretary-General should be filled by a candidate from Latin America and the Caribbean, a region with a strong tradition of peace and diplomacy. He also argued that it was time for the UN to address the “historical gender imbalance” and appoint the first woman to lead the organization.

“The UN must reflect the progress of the world and recognize that a woman in charge is not only a symbol of equality, but also represents and makes it a reality that women, being half of the population, more than half of the population, can occupy all spaces in the world and that no space is off-limits to them if they want to actively contribute to this collective effort,” he pointed out.

The Chilean leftwing leader also highlighted Bachelet's extensive experience, including two terms as Chile's president and her tenures at the UN as the first Executive Director of UN Women and as High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Boric's proposal came despite some opposition within Chile and amid reports of reluctance from the right and far-right. Bachelet, who was present at the session, called the nomination “an honor” and expressed her belief that the UN continues to play a fundamental role in creating a more peaceful world.

Separately, Boric took a critical stance against US President Donald Trump, whom he accused of spreading “lies” about issues like climate change from the same UN podium.