Boric says his future government in Chile will prioritize the Pacific Alliance

The elected president of Chile, Gabriel Boric, affirmed that in matters of foreign policy, his future government, which takes office on March 11, 2022, will prioritize the relationship with the Pacific Alliance, which the country integrates together with Colombia, Mexico and Peru.

“We are going to give priority to the Pacific Alliance in the future. I have already spoken with several of the presidents, in particular with (Andrés) Manuel López Obrador from Mexico, with President (Iván) Duque, from Colombia, and we have also been in contact with the Foreign Ministry of Peru, ”he said.

Born at the initiative of former Peruvian president Alan García (2006-2011), the Pacific Alliance was formally sealed in June 2012.

Boric, elected president on December 19 with 55.8% of the votes against the far-right José Antonio Kast (44.1%), pointed out however that he declined the invitation of President Sebastián Piñera to accompany him on a trip to Colombia at the end of January to the summits of the Pacific Alliance and the Forum for the Progress of South America (Prosur).

Prosur is made up of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay and Peru. It was created in March 2019 in Santiago.

“It seems to us that our priorities today are in the formation of teams here in Chile,” said the president-elect, who has yet to create his cabinet and fine-tune the change of command.

He added that he had previously spoken with Piñera about his decision so that it would not be understood as “a slight from the State.”

“Regarding Prosur, it seems to us that it is an agenda of President Piñera’s own, which is in his legitimate right,” said Boric, who added that when he assumes he will develop an agenda based on collaboration perspectives according to the “tremendous challenges” regional and worldwide.

Among them, he highlighted the coronavirus pandemic, -which in Chile leaves 1.8 million cases and 39,000 deaths-, the climate crisis, migratory crises, economic cooperation and the strengthening of democracy.