Chile

Socialist Michelle Bachelet was swept back into office Sunday as Chile’s next president, on a platform of narrowing the gap between rich and poor.

“In Chile, the skirt’s in charge,” blared the headline of Santiago tabloid La Cuarta the day after Michelle Bachelet and Evelyn Matthei advanced to a second round in the country’s presidential race.

When Chileans vote Sunday for their next leader, they will choose between a former president seeking to expand access to higher education broadly and a staunch conservative opposing tax increases aimed at reducing Chile’s high levels of inequality.

The leader in the race for president of Chile, Michelle Bachelet took 47% of the vote in November 17th elections. She will face a run-off against opponent Evelyn Matthei of the ruling center-right Alliance on December 15 who received 25% of the vote.

Socialist Michelle Bachelet handily won a first round of Chile's presidential race Sunday, with voters putting her on track to replace the country's conservative leader following a runoff in December.

Camila Vallejo, who helped spearhead Chile's student uprising in 2011,has been elected to Congres

Chile holds a presidential election on Sunday and both frontrunners are women - the socialist Michelle Bachelet and her right-wing rival Evelyn Matthei.