The Diplomat
The Government of Spain yesterday congratulated Gabriel Boric on his victory in Chile’s presidential elections, held this past Sunday, and wished him “many successes during the exercise of the Presidency of the Republic.”
“Spain welcomes this new era in which it hopes to work with the new Chilean government to implement social, fair, sustainable and feminist policies, which will result in the progress of both societies,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
“The Government expresses its strong desire to work closely with the new Chilean authorities to further promote the strategic partnership between the two countries,” it continued. “Chile is a key partner with which we are united by deep ties of friendship within the framework of the Ibero-American Community of Nations,” it added.
“The Spanish Executive also congratulates the Chilean people for the high level of participation, despite the mobility restrictions caused by the pandemic, and for the peaceful development of the election day, in which Chileans once again showed their well-known civic conscience,” the Government stated. “As it also wants to recognize the good functioning of the electoral institutions during the voting day”, it concluded.
The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, also congratulated Boric. “Congratulations, Gabriel Boric, on your victory in the Chilean presidential elections,” he declared via his Twitter account. “The Chilean people are moving forward with hope towards a more just, feminist and ecologist future,” he continued. “Our countries will continue to reinforce their relations, strengthening the ties between Latin America and the EU,” he added.
For its part, the European Union congratulated Gabriel Boric “on his victory and looks forward to working soon with the new Administration”. Likewise, the EU diplomacy highlighted that the victory of the new president came after “free, transparent and credible” elections. Likewise, the U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, congratulated the Chilean president-elect and stressed that Chile has been, “once again”, an “example of free and fair democratic elections”.
Last week, more than 80 European intellectuals and leaders signed a manifesto in support of Gabriel Boric in the second round of the presidential elections, in which he faced far-right José Antonio Kast. “What is at stake in the presidential election in Chile is the possibility of advancing towards a true social and democratic rule of law”, while Kast’s victory would imply “a real danger of an involution in Chile”, the text added.
Among the signatories of the manifesto Europe with Boric: For a democratic and social future for Chile, were numerous Spanish leftists, among them former President José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, the leaders of CCOO and UGT, Unai Sordo and Pepe Álvarez; the president of PSOE, Cristina Narbona: the spokesperson of the Socialist parliamentary group in Congress, Héctor Gómez; the secretary of International Policy of the PSOE, Hana Jalloul; the former vice-president of the European Commission Joaquín Almunia, several deputies of Unidas Podemos in Congress (the deputy spokesperson, Sofía Castañón; the third vice-president of the Lower House, Gloria Elizo, Gerardo Pisarello, Javier Sánchez Serna, Lucía Muñoz Dalda, Meri Pita, Antón Gómez-Reino or Miguel Ángel Bustamante) and several MEPs, such as Sira Rego (IU), Manu Pineda (IU), Idoia Villanueva (Podemos), María Eugenia Rodríguez Palop (European United Left).
