¡Viva Chile mierda!
December 19, 2021 5:48 PM Subscribe
Gabriel Boric wins run-off presidential election in Chile against José Antonioo Kast, our own hard-right Bolsonaro/Trump clone.
His opponent, Kast, is the son of a Nazi lieutenant, was one of the last prominent Pinochetistas, a homophobe, transphobe (publicly feuding with Daniela Vega, star of Chile's first Oscar winning film), one of who's elected congressmen says women shouldn't have the right to vote, among other outrages.
Boric came to prominence as one of the student leaders who lead a massive protest movement against the current educational system and the student loan business.
The 35 year old, who will be Chile's youngest president ever, won with 55.7% against Kasts's 44.1%, and was elected with the largest vote count and the largest percentage of voter participation in the country's history.
His opponent, Kast, is the son of a Nazi lieutenant, was one of the last prominent Pinochetistas, a homophobe, transphobe (publicly feuding with Daniela Vega, star of Chile's first Oscar winning film), one of who's elected congressmen says women shouldn't have the right to vote, among other outrages.
Boric came to prominence as one of the student leaders who lead a massive protest movement against the current educational system and the student loan business.
The 35 year old, who will be Chile's youngest president ever, won with 55.7% against Kasts's 44.1%, and was elected with the largest vote count and the largest percentage of voter participation in the country's history.
🎉🎉🎉
posted by Lawn Beaver at 5:55 PM on December 19, 2021 [8 favorites]
posted by Lawn Beaver at 5:55 PM on December 19, 2021 [8 favorites]
OH MY GOD REALLY?!?!!?
I have been seeing the news stories about Boric and I was SO, so hoping he would win.
56% to 44%! That is EXCELLENT!
Oh, signal, thank you so much for sharing this here! I am elated for you, and for everyone in Chile.
¡¡¡Felicitaciones y felicidades!!!
posted by kristi at 6:00 PM on December 19, 2021 [23 favorites]
I have been seeing the news stories about Boric and I was SO, so hoping he would win.
56% to 44%! That is EXCELLENT!
Oh, signal, thank you so much for sharing this here! I am elated for you, and for everyone in Chile.
¡¡¡Felicitaciones y felicidades!!!
posted by kristi at 6:00 PM on December 19, 2021 [23 favorites]
Hurrah! Thanks for the background and information, signal.
posted by freethefeet at 6:01 PM on December 19, 2021 [5 favorites]
posted by freethefeet at 6:01 PM on December 19, 2021 [5 favorites]
Wow. I was under the impression this was expected to be a close election.
posted by interogative mood at 6:06 PM on December 19, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by interogative mood at 6:06 PM on December 19, 2021 [2 favorites]
Get the fuck IN! Celebrate tonight, tomorrow the hard work begins!
posted by lalochezia at 6:10 PM on December 19, 2021 [5 favorites]
posted by lalochezia at 6:10 PM on December 19, 2021 [5 favorites]
henry kissinger lived just long enough to see a socialist take power in chile again.posted by Fiasco da Gama at 6:12 PM on December 19, 2021 [83 favorites]
I really liked the “El Facho Al Tacho” sign…
posted by GenjiandProust at 6:13 PM on December 19, 2021 [14 favorites]
posted by GenjiandProust at 6:13 PM on December 19, 2021 [14 favorites]
interogative mood: "Wow. I was under the impression this was expected to be a close election."
It was. We're thrilled with how big the win was.
posted by signal at 6:19 PM on December 19, 2021 [21 favorites]
It was. We're thrilled with how big the win was.
posted by signal at 6:19 PM on December 19, 2021 [21 favorites]
henry kissinger lived just long enough to
dangit you got my OTHER hopes up for a minute there
posted by away for regrooving at 6:28 PM on December 19, 2021 [53 favorites]
dangit you got my OTHER hopes up for a minute there
posted by away for regrooving at 6:28 PM on December 19, 2021 [53 favorites]
Fuck yeah! This is some very welcome news. ¡Felicidades, Chile!
posted by heteronym at 6:47 PM on December 19, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by heteronym at 6:47 PM on December 19, 2021 [2 favorites]
His opponent, Kast, is the son of a Nazi lieutenant, was one of the last prominent Pinochetistas, a homophobe, transphobe
He is almost comically terrible. Not in a funny-ha-ha way, but just that someone so awful would seem unrealistic in a novel.
This was great news to see and thank you for posting the photos of the celebration.
posted by Dip Flash at 7:13 PM on December 19, 2021 [12 favorites]
He is almost comically terrible. Not in a funny-ha-ha way, but just that someone so awful would seem unrealistic in a novel.
This was great news to see and thank you for posting the photos of the celebration.
posted by Dip Flash at 7:13 PM on December 19, 2021 [12 favorites]
¡¡¡Felicitaciones y felicidades!!! (copying from Kristi, above)
posted by winesong at 7:19 PM on December 19, 2021
posted by winesong at 7:19 PM on December 19, 2021
Congratulations Chile.
posted by Coaticass at 7:31 PM on December 19, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by Coaticass at 7:31 PM on December 19, 2021 [1 favorite]
dangit you got my OTHER hopes up for a minute there
Thatcher’s still dead, at least.
posted by Artw at 7:46 PM on December 19, 2021 [33 favorites]
Thatcher’s still dead, at least.
posted by Artw at 7:46 PM on December 19, 2021 [33 favorites]
Thatcher’s still dead, at least.
Honk.
posted by Your Childhood Pet Rock at 8:52 PM on December 19, 2021
Honk.
posted by Your Childhood Pet Rock at 8:52 PM on December 19, 2021
From a friend in Chile: We are thrilled, and relieved, but we know the fight is just now starting. The right will do its best to quash him and they will use anything they can to stop this momentum.
posted by chaz at 9:04 PM on December 19, 2021 [13 favorites]
posted by chaz at 9:04 PM on December 19, 2021 [13 favorites]
Aww, man. That's great for Chile and all, congrats to you guys, but I want a socialist leftist to head the United States. Can I get that for Christmas, please? Who do I have to call to make that happen?
I know you're just being silly, but worth noting that they were out in the streets for months, this is the result.
posted by chaz at 9:27 PM on December 19, 2021 [29 favorites]
I know you're just being silly, but worth noting that they were out in the streets for months, this is the result.
posted by chaz at 9:27 PM on December 19, 2021 [29 favorites]
There is exactly one half sentence in the NYT article: "... the 1973 military coup that ushered in a brutal 17-year dictatorship." No mention of the US role in this, the hows and whys, the CIA, Milton Friedman, monetarism, neoliberalism, nothing. Down the memory hole. Even with everything I know about how US media works, I am still disgusted. FFS Boric used the slogan "neoliberalism was born here and it will die here" and yet they cannot mention it.
Feh.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 10:01 PM on December 19, 2021 [58 favorites]
Feh.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 10:01 PM on December 19, 2021 [58 favorites]
This is a huge relief. Thank you to a majority of the Chilean voters for being decent people. I don't get how Pinochetistas get any support in this day and age, but I how this depresses many Pinochetistas so much that they never vote or run for office again.
posted by Hactar at 10:06 PM on December 19, 2021 [7 favorites]
posted by Hactar at 10:06 PM on December 19, 2021 [7 favorites]
Mod note: A couple deleted. As always, we need to make some effort to keep posts about other countries from becoming threads about the US. Let's stick to discussing Chile, and those who would like to discuss socialism in the United States, or focus *primarily* on US involvement in Chile outside of this election (ie 1973 coup) can make a post or posts about those topics. Thank you.
posted by taz (staff) at 11:15 PM on December 19, 2021 [22 favorites]
posted by taz (staff) at 11:15 PM on December 19, 2021 [22 favorites]
At last, some good news somewhere on earth. Thank you for sharing this.
posted by contrapositive at 11:49 PM on December 19, 2021 [13 favorites]
posted by contrapositive at 11:49 PM on December 19, 2021 [13 favorites]
This augurs well for Lula in Brazil, I'm thinking. Also good to read that Kast has acknowledged defeat and rung to concede.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 11:57 PM on December 19, 2021 [3 favorites]
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 11:57 PM on December 19, 2021 [3 favorites]
This news makes me so happy. Congratulations Chile! I wish you all the best as you beat back the right wingers who don't want Boric to succeed.
Thank you for the post and all the context, signal.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 12:10 AM on December 20, 2021 [3 favorites]
Thank you for the post and all the context, signal.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 12:10 AM on December 20, 2021 [3 favorites]
Boric's victory speech, if you speak Spanish, is really worth a watch.
Over 30 minutes, as you might expect, he expresses his gratitude to the different communities of supporters and to his opponents, retells the story of their victory, and paints a picture of what a mature democracy should do for its people with his vision for leadership and governance.
But he also talks directly to Chileans and their families about how electing him means finally living with justice and dignity, with people's human rights protected through the constitutional process the country is in the midst of and enshrined in the final document, talking about how the people themselves should expect to be "protagonists" in the government.
And something I've never heard in a speech like this by any politician, I think, starts around the five-minute mark, when he thanks the children who he has spoken to, for showing him their dreams for their country in the artwork they shared with his campaign, in what he describes and I translate as
beautiful drawings that expressed with innocence a Chile that they hope for, a green Chile and a Chile of love, a Chile that cares about nature and animals, a Chile that takes back the town squares and gives them a place to play, a Chile where mothers and fathers have more time to be with their kids and where grandparents aren't going through that stage of their life alone. We have looked in the eyes of the children of Chile, and I know we cannot fail them.
It was a nice reminder that not every voice is expressed in an election, and that a government's job is not just to look after voters; it's to look after all the people it represents.
posted by mdonley at 12:36 AM on December 20, 2021 [61 favorites]
Over 30 minutes, as you might expect, he expresses his gratitude to the different communities of supporters and to his opponents, retells the story of their victory, and paints a picture of what a mature democracy should do for its people with his vision for leadership and governance.
But he also talks directly to Chileans and their families about how electing him means finally living with justice and dignity, with people's human rights protected through the constitutional process the country is in the midst of and enshrined in the final document, talking about how the people themselves should expect to be "protagonists" in the government.
And something I've never heard in a speech like this by any politician, I think, starts around the five-minute mark, when he thanks the children who he has spoken to, for showing him their dreams for their country in the artwork they shared with his campaign, in what he describes and I translate as
beautiful drawings that expressed with innocence a Chile that they hope for, a green Chile and a Chile of love, a Chile that cares about nature and animals, a Chile that takes back the town squares and gives them a place to play, a Chile where mothers and fathers have more time to be with their kids and where grandparents aren't going through that stage of their life alone. We have looked in the eyes of the children of Chile, and I know we cannot fail them.
It was a nice reminder that not every voice is expressed in an election, and that a government's job is not just to look after voters; it's to look after all the people it represents.
posted by mdonley at 12:36 AM on December 20, 2021 [61 favorites]
Incredibly excellent news! Yay!!
posted by brainwane at 3:51 AM on December 20, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by brainwane at 3:51 AM on December 20, 2021 [1 favorite]
If you go to Santiago, Valparaíso, or any major Chilean city, you'll see tons of murals of the late socialist president Salvador Allende, who by all accounts was a thoroughly good man and who died, likely murdered, in the first days of the Pinochet coup.
I don't believe in an afterlife per se but it's nice to think that somewhere, Allende is very happy with this outcome.
posted by Sheydem-tants at 3:58 AM on December 20, 2021 [8 favorites]
I don't believe in an afterlife per se but it's nice to think that somewhere, Allende is very happy with this outcome.
posted by Sheydem-tants at 3:58 AM on December 20, 2021 [8 favorites]
Thanks everybody!
Some random thoughts:
The speech was so good, real, warm, funny. People would yell things out at him and he would respond. They started up a chant about justice for human rights abuses and he joined in.
He starts out speaking briefly in Mapudungun, the language of the Mapuches, the largest Amerindian group in Chile. The president of the Constitutional Convention, Elisa Loncón, is Mapuche, the first time in Chile's history that a Mapuche (and a woman at that) has ANY real political power. Boric has a good relationship with her, change is afoot.
He also thanks at the very beginning the LGBTQIA community and organizations, recognizing how their few political accomplishments were at risk with Kast and committing to strengthening them.
Boric is 35, his generation leaped over my own 50 year olds, who never had a President—we're called the lost generation, we came of age at the end of the dictatorship and were crowded out by the generation that was coming of age at its beginning and felt that it was their time—Good on him.
Boric is probably the world's most powerful admitted Tool fan.
Personally, Boric reminds me of 3 or 4 friends I love. He feels like somebody who I could run into next weekend at a friend's house. This speaks to my class, privilege, etc., but I love the fact that someone like him is our next president.
We use the old fashioned "draw a line on paper" method for elections and it rocks. We knew Boric had won 1 hour after the first polling stations started closing, and there's never been any significant challenge to a presidential election, or courts, or what have you. Highly recommend.
Boric got his start leading marches as a student leader, organizing a huge national strike and protest movement together with Giorgio Jackson and Camila Vallejo. Vallejo is smart, Marxist, outspoken, attractive and female, which makes the right despise her with every fiber of their dried out shriveled little hearts—They're always making a big deal over how much she pays to get her hair styled or the fact that she uses an iPhone—Imagine if AOC was an actual card carrying Marx quoting communist and even less willing to take shit from assholes, you'll get the picture. She and Jackson are finishing their second periods in Congress, and did not run again on the principle that politicians shouldn't serve more than 2 terms. We're speculating what cabinet positions they'll get with Boric. I hope Vallejo gets Education.
posted by signal at 4:38 AM on December 20, 2021 [78 favorites]
Some random thoughts:
The speech was so good, real, warm, funny. People would yell things out at him and he would respond. They started up a chant about justice for human rights abuses and he joined in.
He starts out speaking briefly in Mapudungun, the language of the Mapuches, the largest Amerindian group in Chile. The president of the Constitutional Convention, Elisa Loncón, is Mapuche, the first time in Chile's history that a Mapuche (and a woman at that) has ANY real political power. Boric has a good relationship with her, change is afoot.
He also thanks at the very beginning the LGBTQIA community and organizations, recognizing how their few political accomplishments were at risk with Kast and committing to strengthening them.
Boric is 35, his generation leaped over my own 50 year olds, who never had a President—we're called the lost generation, we came of age at the end of the dictatorship and were crowded out by the generation that was coming of age at its beginning and felt that it was their time—Good on him.
Boric is probably the world's most powerful admitted Tool fan.
Personally, Boric reminds me of 3 or 4 friends I love. He feels like somebody who I could run into next weekend at a friend's house. This speaks to my class, privilege, etc., but I love the fact that someone like him is our next president.
We use the old fashioned "draw a line on paper" method for elections and it rocks. We knew Boric had won 1 hour after the first polling stations started closing, and there's never been any significant challenge to a presidential election, or courts, or what have you. Highly recommend.
Boric got his start leading marches as a student leader, organizing a huge national strike and protest movement together with Giorgio Jackson and Camila Vallejo. Vallejo is smart, Marxist, outspoken, attractive and female, which makes the right despise her with every fiber of their dried out shriveled little hearts—They're always making a big deal over how much she pays to get her hair styled or the fact that she uses an iPhone—Imagine if AOC was an actual card carrying Marx quoting communist and even less willing to take shit from assholes, you'll get the picture. She and Jackson are finishing their second periods in Congress, and did not run again on the principle that politicians shouldn't serve more than 2 terms. We're speculating what cabinet positions they'll get with Boric. I hope Vallejo gets Education.
posted by signal at 4:38 AM on December 20, 2021 [78 favorites]
Boric is probably the world's most powerful admitted Tool fan.
Also, the most powerful public figure sharing their name with a type of acid.
posted by acb at 4:58 AM on December 20, 2021 [8 favorites]
Also, the most powerful public figure sharing their name with a type of acid.
posted by acb at 4:58 AM on December 20, 2021 [8 favorites]
Some quick explainers for those (like me) late to this story.
"draw a line on paper" method for elections
Not familiar with the phrase. What does this mean?
posted by BWA at 5:13 AM on December 20, 2021
"draw a line on paper" method for elections
Not familiar with the phrase. What does this mean?
posted by BWA at 5:13 AM on December 20, 2021
BWA: " Not familiar with the phrase. What does this mean?"
No voting machines, no touch screens. A piece of paper and a ballpoint pen, that's it.
posted by signal at 5:16 AM on December 20, 2021 [7 favorites]
No voting machines, no touch screens. A piece of paper and a ballpoint pen, that's it.
posted by signal at 5:16 AM on December 20, 2021 [7 favorites]
What Boric said in Mapudungun at the beginning of his speech translates to "to all the peoples who inhabit what today we call Chile".
posted by signal at 5:48 AM on December 20, 2021 [14 favorites]
posted by signal at 5:48 AM on December 20, 2021 [14 favorites]
A good friend of mine was able to immigrate from Venezuela to Chile a few years ago and has been saving money to help his mom make the move too. He was pretty concerned Kast and feared a right win would make it impossible to get his mom out of Venezuela. I'm so happy for Chile broadly and for my friend personally.
posted by TheKaijuCommuter at 5:55 AM on December 20, 2021 [13 favorites]
posted by TheKaijuCommuter at 5:55 AM on December 20, 2021 [13 favorites]
Congratulations, Chile! I gotta get down there for a visit some day.
posted by snwod at 6:33 AM on December 20, 2021 [4 favorites]
posted by snwod at 6:33 AM on December 20, 2021 [4 favorites]
Solidarity, strength, and congratulations. Nice to wake up to some good news.
posted by SystematicAbuse at 6:49 AM on December 20, 2021 [6 favorites]
posted by SystematicAbuse at 6:49 AM on December 20, 2021 [6 favorites]
at the end of a rough year, many in the world embrace this and look forward to 2022 with some hope
with gratitude, from Canada
posted by elkevelvet at 7:17 AM on December 20, 2021 [10 favorites]
with gratitude, from Canada
posted by elkevelvet at 7:17 AM on December 20, 2021 [10 favorites]
Eso!!
posted by riverlife at 9:20 AM on December 20, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by riverlife at 9:20 AM on December 20, 2021 [1 favorite]
signal, thanks for the post & pictures. What a turnout! (I love the "trash the fash" sign too; always fun when the same sentiment rhymes in multiple languages.) Really good news, fingers crossed Brasil might be able to squeak out something similar next year. Though my Brasilian colleague is pretty resigned about it not happening.
posted by deludingmyself at 9:21 AM on December 20, 2021 [7 favorites]
posted by deludingmyself at 9:21 AM on December 20, 2021 [7 favorites]
🌷🌈💃🕺
posted by Too-Ticky at 10:06 AM on December 20, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by Too-Ticky at 10:06 AM on December 20, 2021 [2 favorites]
¡Qué viva el pueblo chileno amante de la democracia!
posted by abakua at 10:09 AM on December 20, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by abakua at 10:09 AM on December 20, 2021 [2 favorites]
I have no useful insights, but my Chilean friends were sobbing in relief and delight, and I am so so happy for you all.
posted by BlueBlueElectricBlue at 10:28 AM on December 20, 2021 [6 favorites]
posted by BlueBlueElectricBlue at 10:28 AM on December 20, 2021 [6 favorites]
snwod: "I gotta get down there for a visit some day."
Do it, I'll invite you to try some Mote Con Huesillos.
posted by signal at 12:49 PM on December 20, 2021
Do it, I'll invite you to try some Mote Con Huesillos.
posted by signal at 12:49 PM on December 20, 2021
Let's hope he delivers. It's going to be a rough ride as those fascist fuckers don't let go easily.
This is quite a statement:
''We are a generation that emerged in public life demanding our rights be respected as rights and not treated like consumer goods or a business.
We no longer will permit that the poor keep paying the price of Chile’s inequality.
posted by adamvasco at 4:46 PM on December 20, 2021 [11 favorites]
This is quite a statement:
''We are a generation that emerged in public life demanding our rights be respected as rights and not treated like consumer goods or a business.
We no longer will permit that the poor keep paying the price of Chile’s inequality.
posted by adamvasco at 4:46 PM on December 20, 2021 [11 favorites]
Chile’s Surprise Election Result Offers a Road Map for Polarized Democracies.
Oliver Stuenkel for Carnegie Endowment.
posted by adamvasco at 7:31 AM on December 21, 2021 [1 favorite]
Oliver Stuenkel for Carnegie Endowment.
posted by adamvasco at 7:31 AM on December 21, 2021 [1 favorite]
« Older I thought it was an endearing little ditty | How COULD a Trailer Pander More To My Interests? Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by signal at 5:49 PM on December 19, 2021 [84 favorites]