Election of Gabriel Boric as Chile's youngest president 'symbol of hope' for new generation
ABC News
Gabriel Boric, 35, who considered himself a "moderate socialist," will be sworn in as Chile's president in March, becoming the youngest president in modern history.
RIO DE JANEIRO -- Gabriel Boric, a 35-year-old self-described "moderate socialist," will be sworn in as Chile's president in March, making him both the youngest leader in South America and the youngest president in modern Chilean history.
The left-wing former student protester secured 56% of the vote in Sunday's election, defeating the ultra-conservative José Antonio Kast, 56. Boric has vowed sweeping changes in Chilean society, campaigning on promises to dismantle the economic legacy of the General Augusto Pinochet's dictatorship in the 1970s and 1980s.
"I am going to be the president of all Chileans, whether you voted for me or not," Boric said after his victory.
His campaign was successful in part because it appealed to the interests of younger Chileans. Boric rose to prominence as a key figure of the recent student protests, which included several years of nearly constant demonstrations against inequality and demands for social reforms.
