Chile, Bachelet and Boric exclude candidacies for the 2029 presidential elections

Former Chilean presidents Michelle Bachelet and Gabriel Boric assured that they are not thinking of a new presidential candidacy, after meeting representatives of the opposition parties on Thursday at the headquarters of the Horizonte Ciudadano foundation, in Ñuñoa, in the capital Santiago.

Bachelet explained that the meeting was dedicated to the country's problems and the search for solutions to respond to the needs of the population, excluding any electoral discussion from the discussion. “This is not the time to talk about candidacies of any kind,” he said, stressing the need to focus on economic difficulties, including weak growth, high inflation and rising costs of living amid stagnant wages.

The former president has specified that his objective is to contribute to the public debate and support the search for solutions, after having declared last week, in an interview with the Chilean television station TVU (Televisión Universidad de Concepción), that he did not rule out a third candidacy for the presidency.

Boric also ruled out wanting to run for president again, defining the debate on the candidacies as premature.

The former head of state invited the forces of the left and center-left to reflect on the recent electoral defeat and to rebuild the relationship with the citizens. "It's not enough to just talk to each other," he declared, urging the parties to listen to the population and focus on building a more just country.