Michelle Bachelet withdraws UN bid as ruling coalition criticizes former President Boric

Former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet has withdrawn her candidacy for Secretary-General of the United Nations following low support in Security Council polls, drawing political fallout and criticism of former President Gabriel Boric.

Key points

• Bachelet announced the withdrawal of her United Nations candidacy after reviewing results from surveys among the 15 members of the Security Council.
• Ruling coalition politicians, including Senator Iván Moreira and Deputy Stephan Schubert, criticized former President Gabriel Boric for unnecessarily exposing Bachelet and failing to build a viable state-backed campaign.
• Despite the withdrawal, former President Boric defended the decision and thanked leaders from Brazil and Mexico for their initial and ongoing support of the nomination.
• The campaign was launched in February 2026 with the backing of the then-administration, though the current government of President José Antonio Kast later withdrew its official support.

Why it matters

The withdrawal of Michelle Bachelet's bid to lead the United Nations highlights deep domestic political divisions in Chile over international representation and diplomatic strategy.