Latin America rallies to congratulate Chile's youngest ever leftist president

Leaders in Latin America have rallied to congratulate Chile’s President-elect Gabriel Boric, who defeated his far-right rival Antonio Kast to become the country’s youngest leader ever.

With almost 99 percent of polling stations reporting, Boric with 56 percent of the votes clearly trumped his closest rival, who garnered 44 percent of the votes.

According to Press TV, congratulatory message for the 35-year-old leftist leader started pouring in, led by President Alberto Fernández of Argentina, who pledged to “strengthen ties” with the new Chilean government to combat “inequality” that plagues the region.

Argentinean Vice President Fernández de Kirchner had earlier sent her congratulations to Boric and asserted that “the people always come back.”

Bolivian President Luis Arce also hailed the historic victory of the leftist lawmaker, saying it represented “the triumph of the Chilean people” and the “strengthening of Latin American democracy.”

“Latin American democracy is strengthened based on unity, respect and, above all, the will of our peoples,” Arce wrote in a Twitter post.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro also praised the Chilean president-elect on his electoral win, hailing it as an “overwhelming victory over fascism,” a swipe at Boric’s far-right, pro-Pinochet rival.

Maduro also recalled the popularity of Chile’s former President Salvador Allende, who was toppled by a US-sponsored coup to install brutal military dictator, Gen. Augusto Pinochet.

In his congratulatory message to Boric, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel reaffirmed the will to “expand bilateral relations and cooperation” between the two peoples and governments.

Peruvian President Pedro Castillo and Uruguay’s President Luis Lacalle Pou also rushed to congratulate the Chilean president-elect.

“The victory you have achieved is that of the Chilean people and the Latin American people who want to live with freedom, peace, justice and dignity share it,” Peru’s Castillo said in a message.

Congratulations also poured in from other leaders across Latin America, including Brazil's ex-President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, as well as right-wing presidents Ivan Duque of Colombia and Guillermo Lasso of Ecuador.

ME