36-year-old Gabriel Boric has been sworn in as Chile’s new president after its elections last November, becoming the country’s youngest president in its history.
Boric received the presidential sash from outgoing President Sebastian Pinera on Friday at the Congress building in the port city of Valparaiso.
“Before the Chilean people, I make my pledge,” Boric said.
Boric is Chile’s youngest president, replacing Sebastián Piñera, who ended his second term with a disapproval rating of 71 per cent, the worst recorded by a president since the return of democracy in 1990.
Boric saw a record voter turnout last year, providing nearly 56 per cent of the vote to beat opponent José Antonio Kast.
Boric’s new administration follows large-scale protests in 2019 over unequal wealth distribution in income, healthcare, education and pensions.
He has promised to boost the Chilean tax regime to fund social reform and halt the country’s spiralling debt.
In January, Boric announced that his cabinet was composed of women and young people, including two colleagues who had led countrywide protests in 2011 for free, quality education.
Chile’s defence minister is Maya Fernández, the granddaughter of Salvador Allende, Latin America’s first elected president who was ousted in the coup of 1973.
Camila Vallejo, a student leader, will be the government spokesperson.
Mario Marcel, who had earlier worked at the World Bank, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and in previous Chilean governments, will handle the finance ministry.
Discussion about this post