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Brazil & Southern Cone - August 2013 (ISSN 1741-4431)

CHILE: Another twist in the race for La Moneda

The 17 November presidential contest has taken another unexpected turn. Just over two weeks after winning the 30 June primaries [RBS-13-07], Pablo Longueira, the candidate for the ruling Coalición por el Cambio, bowed out, citing health reasons. The ruling coalition appears to have averted a fresh internal crisis, swiftly naming Labour Minister Evelyn Matthei as its replacement to face the current electoral favourite, former President Michelle Bachelet (2006-2010) of the quadripartite Concertación coalition. Like Longueira, Matthei hails from the conservative senior partner in the governing coalition, Unión Demócrata Independiente (UDI). While the junior partner, Renovación Nacional (from which President Sebastián Piñera hails), has since thrown its weight behind Matthei, it remains to be seen how far the initial disgruntlement expressed by the RN at her nomination has been overcome, raising further questions about the future of the coalition.

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