Former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet on Monday formally entered the race for United Nations secretary-general, with joint backing from the leftist governments of Chile, Brazil, and Mexico. But the former political prisoner who served as head of state and in senior U.N. posts, including as U.N. high commissioner for human rights, faces a potentially insurmountable challenge of securing U.S. support for her candidacy.
“Today, the State of Chile, together with Brazil and Mexico, have the honor and pride of officially registering the candidacy of Michelle Bachelet Jeria for the position of Secretary-General of the United Nations,” Chilean President Gabriel Boric Font announced alongside Bachelet and senior officials from Brazil and Mexico.
“Former President Michelle Bachelet faithfully embodies the values of the United Nations, and this candidacy expresses a shared hope: that Latin America and the Caribbean make their voice heard in building collective solutions to the tremendous challenges of our time.”
About the author
Colum Lynch
Colum Lynch is an award-winning reporter and Senior Global Reporter for Devex. He covers the intersection of development, diplomacy, and humanitarian relief at the United Nations and beyond. Prior to Devex, Colum reported on foreign policy and national security for Foreign Policy Magazine and the Washington Post. Colum was awarded the 2011 National Magazine Award for digital reporting for his blog Turtle Bay. He has also won an award for groundbreaking reporting on the U.N.’s failure to protect civilians in Darfur.
