Chilean President Gabriel Boric announced on Monday that Chile, Mexico, and Brazil have formally nominated former President Michelle Bachelet as a candidate for Secretary-General of the United Nations.

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At a ceremony held at La Moneda Palace, Boric emphasized that Bachelet’s nomination reflects the three countries’ commitment to building global solutions and their firm resolve to ensure Latin America’s voice is heard within the international organization.

The nominations were formalized by each country’s ambassador to the UN: Pablo Pacheco for Brazil and Laura Moreno for Mexico, a gesture supported by Presidents Claudia Sheinbaum, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and Boric, respectively.

The Chilean president highlighted Bachelet’s career, underscoring her commitment to democracy, the defense of human rights, and the strengthening of institutions serving the most vulnerable.

Her achievements include serving as former head of UN Women, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Minister of Health and Minister of Defense, and as Chile’s first female president.

Bachelet, for her part, valued the support of the three countries as a sign of the United Nations’ relevance to Latin America and stressed that the organization must renew itself to maintain its legitimacy and effectiveness in the face of global challenges such as conflict, climate change, inequality, and technological disruption.

The election to replace current Secretary-General António Guterres will take place at the end of 2026. The inauguration will be on January 1, 2027. Other candidates from the region include former Vice President of Costa Rica, Rebeca Grynspan, and Argentine Rafael Grossi, current Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

According to Article 97 of the UN Charter, the Secretary-General is appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council, and to date, no woman has held this position. It is unknown whether the incoming Chilean president, José Antonio Kast, who will take office on March 11, will support Bachelet’s candidacy.

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