CHILEANS elected left leader Gabriel Boric their youngest ever president yesterday — and with the highest number of votes of any president in the country’s history.

Hundreds of thousands thronged the streets of Santiago celebrating as the 35-year-old, who rose to prominence as a leader of the mammoth protests against neoliberalism that swept Chile from 2019, was declared the emphatic winner of a tense run-off against far-right candidate Jose Antonio Kast.

Mr Boric won 56 per cent of the votes as the candidate of Apruebo Dignidad (Approve Dignity), a union of left forces including the Communist Party of Chile, the Commons, Democratic Revolution, Social Convergence and others.

Turnout, at over 55 per cent, was the highest since voting ceased being compulsory in 2012.

Vaulting atop a barricade to address the crowds, he began his speech in the indigenous Mapuche language, declaring that a new generation of Chileans “demand our rights to be respected as rights and not to be treated like consumer goods or a business.

“We know there continues to be justice for the rich, and justice for the poor, and we no longer will permit that the poor keep paying the price of Chile’s inequality.”

He vowed to “take care of democracy every day of our government … a democracy where neighbourhoods and local populations play the leading role.” 

Mr Boric is committed to demolishing the neoliberal economic structures imposed on the country by the bloody US-backed coup of General Augusto Pinochet in 1973, which overthrew Chile’s last elected socialist government and turned the country into a guinea pig for the free-market economics of the Chicago School.

He said he will build a comprehensive “public and not-for-profit social security system,” including by landmark reforms abolishing the AFPs — joint-stock companies that manage pension funds, which form the basis of the privatised pensions system established by Pinochet.

He also promises to forge ahead with a new constitution backed by a referendum in 2020.

Mr Kast conceded defeat.

“We win, we continue and it will be beautiful,” the Communist Party of Chile tweeted as the result was announced.