Meet 35-year-old Gabriel Boric, Chile’s youngest president and a leftist millenial

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Gabriel Boric, a leftist millenial defeated his opponent, a right-wing lawmaker José Antonio Kast and became the youngest President of Chile at the age of 35. Gabriel won by 56 per cent votes compared to 44 per cent that his opponent Kast received. 

Kast took to Twitter to share a photo of himself congratulating his opponent Gabriel Boric on his grand win. The outgoing President, Sebastian Pinera also spoke to Gabriel via video conference to congratulate him. 

Later, in a televised message, along with Pinera, Gabriel said, “I am going to be the president of all Chileans.” He will take office in March 2022. 

Gabriel was one of the elected activists in Congress 2014 who led the protest for higher quality education. He also promised to remove the neoliberal economic model left by Gen. Augusto Pinochet’s 1973-1990 dictatorship and demand taxes from the super-rich, fight inequality.

The 35-year-old claimed victory in the primary presidential victory poll four months ago. He will be the first President to bag more votes than any other presidential candidate in history.

On Sunday night after winning the election, Gabriel said, “I know that history doesn’t begin with us. I feel like an inheritor of the long trajectory of those who, from different places, have tirelessly sought social justice.”

Who is Gabriel Boric? 

He was born in Punta Arenas in 1986 and has always been proud of his home turf. 

Boric was always involved in protests and political activities. In 2011, he had entered his final year of law and was also a leader of the education protests that had paralysed Chile. The same movement also saw many young leaders become a part of Boric’s presidential campaign. 

Gabriel Boric never managed to complete his degree since he got elected in Congress in 2013, serving two terms as a Deputy.

Gabriel has pledged to implement a welfare state, increase public spending and include women, non-binary Chileans and Indigenous people like never before. But his ultimate dream is of taking the country from under Pinochet’s dictatorship that will define his legacy.

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