Chile ex-president Bachelet quits race to be next UN chief

Former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet has announced she is withdrawing from her bid to become the next United Nations secretary-general, according to a video post on her social media accounts. Bachelet, Chile's first female leader, cited the timing as a reason for her decision to not pursue the position further. Despite her withdrawal, Bachelet expressed that she did not regret taking on the challenge and highlighted her role in sparking a debate about the next secretary-general being a woman from Latin America.

Chile's government withdrew its support for Bachelet's candidacy in March and has not endorsed any candidates since then, reaffirming its commitment to multilateralism and UN reform. In three polls conducted as part of the informal process to select the next UN chief, Costa Rica's former Vice President Rebeca Grynspan and Guyana's ex-foreign minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett have consistently placed first.

Bachelet was initially nominated by the previous administration of President Gabriel Boric and supported by leftist leaders of Mexico and Brazil, but her chances dwindled after Chile's new right-wing President Jose Antonio Kast withdrew his backing. Bachelet's withdrawal leaves four women and three men in the running to succeed current UN chief Antonio Guterres, whose second five-year term ends on December 31. Argentina's Rafael Grossi, the head of the UN nuclear watchdog, remains in the race.