Gabriel Boric, 35, born and raised in Punta Arenas, could be the next Chilean president according to the latest CADEM public opinion poll, particularly since in the primary of the alliance of parties to which he belongs, he clearly beat a Marxist candidate sponsored by the Chilean communist party.
Vallejo's victory and those of independent candidates Giorgio Jackson and Gabriel Boric and fellow communist Karol Cariola, former comrade-in-arms in the student movement, who also gained seats in Chile's lower house on Sunday is significant for presidential front-runner Michelle Bachelet's bid to have her Nueva Mayoria coalition gain a stronger foothold in both houses of Congress.
Chilean President Sebastian Piñra unveiled an education-heavy 2013 budget bill on Sunday, as he seeks to improve the conservatives’ credentials before municipal elections in October and next year's presidential election.
Following over a hundred arrests made on Thursday and clashes with police, students in Santiago occupied on Friday the central building of the University of Chile, the country’s most important higher education facility, as the demands to the government over education reform ensue.