The Story:
On Sunday, December 19, the people of Chile voted on their next President in the second round of this year’s election. The two candidates left standing after the first round were: Jose Antonio Kast and Gabriel Boric. Although they have important policy differences, perhaps the key issue here is the age difference.
And the young man won. Kast has conceded defeat to Boric and has promised “constructive collaboration.” The count was so lopsided that Kast conceded only an hour and a half after the polls had closed.
Background:
Boric will be inaugurated as President on March 11, 2022. Polls indicated that Kast had the advantage with voters over age 50, while voters under 30 preferred Boric. Boric’s win can be attributed to a stronger-than-usual turnout among the young.
Boric is 35 years old. That means he is exactly at the minimum age for eligibility for the office he has just won. Kast is 55.
The Thing to Know:
A convention of elected citizen representatives. with Boric’s approval. is currently drafting a new constitution for Chile. The existing constitution was created by the Pinochet era dictatorship.
Boric said after Kast’s concession that this is a time of tremendous challenge for Chile, and that he will do his best to rise to it.
