President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) stated that Brazil will continue to support the candidacy of former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet for the position of secretary general of the United Nations (UN), even after the Chilean government withdraws its official endorsement of her.
The Brazilian position was reaffirmed this Saturday (28), through a publication on Lula’s social networks. The president declared that Brazil maintains its support “in conjunction with Mexico” and praised the trajectory of the former Chilean president. According to him, Bachelet is “highly qualified and has the best CV for the role”.
Lula also highlighted the candidate’s international experience, stating that she “has all the credentials” to lead the UN, highlighting her role as former president of Chile and former high commissioner for human rights at the organization.
In recent months, Lula has sought to expand the base of support for Bachelet’s candidacy among other countries. The Brazilian president has defended the importance of female leadership at the head of the UN and reinforced the need for greater representation of countries from the Global South in leading the international organization.
The dispute process for the succession of the current secretary-general, António Guterres, formally began in November 2025, with the opening for candidate nominations. The choice should take place throughout 2026, with a final definition expected by the second half of the year and the new secretary general will take over on January 1, 2027.
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- Lula supports former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet’s candidacy to head the UN
Chile withdrew support after change of government
The maintenance of Brazilian support comes after the Chilean government announced, this week, that it will no longer support Bachelet’s candidacy. The decision was taken weeks after the inauguration of José Antonio Kast, which represents a shift to the right in the country’s politics.
The candidacy had initially been launched in February, with joint support from Chile, Brazil and Mexico, during the previous Chilean government, led by former president Gabriel Boric. With the change of command, the new government chose not to sustain the endorsement.
The decision by the new Chilean government occurs amid a scenario of less political alignment between Brazil and Chile. Lula did not attend José Antonio Kast’s inauguration ceremony, a gesture interpreted as a sign of distance between the governments.
