Gabriel Boric Font has been elected Chile’s next president in an era-defining run-off election.

Born in February 1986, he currently has a seat in Congress.

He is a member of Frente Amplio, Chile’s new left.

His electoral pact, Apruebo Dignidad, included the Communist Party.

Mr Boric rose to prominence in 2011 as a student leader at the University of Chile, where he studied law, but never graduated.

He became a member of the House in 2014, in the wake of the movement that finally guaranteed free university tuition for a large chunk of the population.

His detractors criticise his youth, lack of experience and his alliance with the Communist Party.

On the other hand, his supporters, primarily younger Chileans, highlight his determination to tackle social inequality, end the private pension system and establish a national health insurance scheme.

When inaugurated, at 36 and 1 month, Chile’s next president will be the youngest leader in the country’s history.

Kast

In this election, of vital importance for the future of the Constitutional Convention in place since July, Mr Boric defeated José Antonio Kast (55).

A lawyer, a devout Roman Catholic and a father of nine, in 2016, Kast left UDI, a right-wing party founded under the Pinochet regime, after 20 years of affiliation.

In 2017, Kast made an independent bid for the presidency, with only 8% of preferences.

Four years later, he shocked many when he came in first, above Boric, after the first round, on Sunday 21 November.

Kast has openly supported the Pinochet dictatorship and opposed iconic bills, such as abortion and same-sex marriage.

Also, he angered millions after he proposed firing at least 30,000 public workers.

Moreover, he suggested getting rid of 12 ministries. That included Women and Gender Equity.

On the run up to the run-off election, both candidates had to adjust their programs and styles of campaigning.

Being political opposites, both needed the support of the centre left and the centre right to win the election, in a country where turnout has not surpassed 50% in years.

While the markets and the business sector still fear the arrival of Boric, progressives were afraid of what a Kast presidency would have meant in terms of Human Rights, sexual minorities and the environment.

What’s true is that neither Kast nor Boric have a majority in Congress, which means that radical changes face bleak chances of becoming a reality.

Boric’s win comes three days after Lucía Hiriart’s death. She was dictator Augusto Pinochet’s widow.

While in power she helped her husband rule Chile with an iron fist.