Gabriel Boric, Chile’s Voice on the Global Stage

Gabriel Boric was a long shot when he entered Chile’s crowded presidential race last year: He barely met the deadline to gather the signatures needed to register his candidacy. But he wound up getting the most votes for head of state in Chilean history, based on his appeal as a young outsider whose politics prioritize social justice, consensus and public service.

Born in the country’s far south, Boric was president of the student federation at the Universidad de Chile, where he helped lead protests for better-quality education before later ascending to Chile’s lower house of congress. Setbacks during Boric’s first months in office (his term started in March) have dented his approval levels. A new constitution he backed was rejected in a September referendum, after voters said it went too far in areas such as Indigenous community autonomy. In a speech later that month before the UN General Assembly, Boric said, to roaring applause, that he’d been humbled by the results and that the world needed to address social unrest. The current constitution is a remnant of the 1973-90 military dictatorship and is seen by many as illegitimate. Chileans want a charter conceived and implemented in a democracy—and to keep at bay the discontent that exploded into nationwide protests against inequality and poor government services in 2019.