Chile’s 2017 Presidential Election: What It Means for Chile and for Latin America
Event Sponsor
Overview
Chile’s second-round presidential election on December 17 had been projected to be close, yet center-right candidate Sebastián Piñera won a second term with approximately 55 percent of the vote, beating his opponent by almost 9 percentage points. Piñera of the Chile Vamos coalition previously served as president, from 2010 to 2014, and has promised a renewal of strong economic growth in Chile during his second term.
How will Piñera govern and what will his priorities be? In the near to mid-term, it would appear to be difficult to implement the president-elect’s platform without appealing to more moderate parties in the Chilean Congress. Given the lack of a clear majority, governing effectively and through coalition will be a major challenge.
Piñera’s election reflects not only a rightward shift in Chile, but also in other South American countries, notably Argentina and Peru.
On Tuesday, January 9th, 9:30 a.m.—11:00 a.m., we held a conversation on the outcome of the recent Chilean election and how Piñera’s agenda will shape domestic and regional policy trends.
Speakers
Hosted By
Latin America Program
The Wilson Center’s prestigious Latin America Program provides non-partisan expertise to a broad community of decision makers in the United States and Latin America on critical policy issues facing the Hemisphere. The Program provides insightful and actionable research for policymakers, private sector leaders, journalists, and public intellectuals in the United States and Latin America. To bridge the gap between scholarship and policy action, it fosters new inquiry, sponsors high-level public and private meetings among multiple stakeholders, and explores policy options to improve outcomes for citizens throughout the Americas. Drawing on the Wilson Center’s strength as the nation’s key non-partisan policy forum, the Program serves as a trusted source of analysis and a vital point of contact between the worlds of scholarship and action. Read more
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