Mexico reaffirmed its support for former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet as a candidate for U.N. secretary-general after Chile withdrew its endorsement, Mexico’s president said on Wednesday at her daily news briefing.
President Claudia Sheinbaum said that Mexico will keep supporting Bachelet and that she planned to speak by phone with the two-time Chilean president in the near term. The nomination for Bachelet was put forward by the governments of Mexico, Brazil and Chile prior to the swearing in of Chile’s new right-wing President Jose Antonio Kast earlier this month.
At the news conference Sheinbaum offered a direct appraisal of Bachelet’s candidacy and reiterated Mexico’s commitment: "We believe that Bachelet is the ideal person to lead the United Nations, and we will continue to support her," she said.
Sheinbaum also described Bachelet in broader terms, stressing attributes she associated with the former head of state: "She is a woman who seeks peace in the world, who has a vision for building rights, for the peaceful resolution of conflicts, for rebuilding the U.N. as an organization dedicated to resolving international conflicts, and establishing a bill of rights for all the people in the world," the president said.
Earlier, Bachelet said on Tuesday she would continue her candidacy with backing from Mexico and Brazil. According to statements in the days following Chile’s decision to withdraw support, Brazil had not issued a comment about Chile’s change in position.
Chile announced on Tuesday that it would abstain from supporting any candidate after withdrawing its prior endorsement of Bachelet. The Chilean withdrawal followed remarks by President Kast, who said Bachelet’s candidacy should not have been supported by his predecessor, left-wing Gabriel Boric.
Bachelet, who served as Chile’s first female head of state, remains among the main contenders to succeed António Guterres as U.N. secretary-general. Her prior U.N. roles include serving as U.N. high commissioner for human rights from 2018-22 and as executive director of U.N. Women from 2010-13.
Information in this report is limited to statements and developments noted by the parties involved, including Mexico’s public comments, Chile’s announced abstention, and Bachelet’s stated intention to continue her candidacy with support from Mexico and Brazil.