'Autonomous decision' - Chile withdraws support for Bachelet’s candidacy to preside over the UN, citing 'diplomatic reasons'

"The Chilean government has confirmed it is withdrawing its support for former president Michelle Bachelet’s nomination to become the next United Nations Secretary-General. The reversal comes just weeks after her candidacy was formally launched in February, a joint effort by the previous Chilean administration, Brazil, and Mexico. During a press conference on Tuesday, Government Spokesperson Mara Sedini noted that President Jose Antonio Kast, who took office on 11 March, had recently ordered an 'evaluation' of the nomination, and that the withdrawal was for 'diplomatic reasons.' "This is an autonomous decision of Chile, independent of other countries. As our statement clearly says, there are diplomatic reasons for this move," Sedini stated. It comes as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement explaining that the 'fragmentation of candidacies from Latin American countries' and 'differences with key actors in the process' have rendered Bachelet’s eventual success 'unviable.' Bachelet has since announced that she will maintain her nomination, citing her commitment to the "collective nature" of the project alongside Brazil and Mexico, despite Chile's foreign policy shift under President Kast. President Kast has been critical of Bachelet, a two-time socialist president, with his broader political stance suggesting that her globalist outlook would be at odds with his government’s 'national interest first' agenda. Despite this withdrawal, the government clarified that if the former president chooses to continue her campaign independently, Chile will abstain from supporting any other candidate. In the race to succeed Antonio Guterres as UN Secretary-General in 2027, former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet is among several prominent candidates. Others include economist and former Costa Rican vice-president Rebeca Grynspan, now Executive Secretary of ECLAC, and Argentine diplomat Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), who has been recognised for his work on nuclear security and disarmament. They are joined by Argentine diplomat Virginia Gamba, the UN’s Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, furthering a broader Latin American push for a woman to lead the organisation."

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