Ex-student protest leader becomes Chile's youngest president

Left-leaning former student leader Gabriel Boric has vowed to improve the lives of all Chileans and attack deep inequality that has sparked massive protests, hours after being inaugurated as the youngest president in the South American country’s history

SANTIAGO, Chile -- Left-leaning former student leader Gabriel Boric vowed to improve the lives of all Chileans and attack deep inequality that has sparked massive protests, hours after being inaugurated Friday as the youngest president in the country's history.

At 36, Boric was only 4 years old when democracy returned to the South American nation following a 17-year military dictatorship that both bloodied and set the groundwork for modern Chile.

Boric has vowed that his young, inclusive government will attack poverty and inequality that he said are the unacceptable underbelly of a free market model imposed decades ago by Gen. Augusto Pinochet, who ruled from 1973 to 1990.

“We come to give ourselves body and soul to making life better in our country,” he said in a speech from a balcony of the government building, calling for unity to make Chile “a dignified and just country.”