Chile

Sebastian Piñera pulled in 44 percent of the vote in Chile's December 13 elections against ex-president Eduardo Frei and newcomer Marco Enríquez-Ominami. His victory marks the first by a conservative since the fall of Augusto Pinochet. With no candidate securing the necessary majority, a runoff is set for January.

As Chile prepares for its December 13 presidential election, this young candidate has shaken up the post-Pinochet pattern of two coalitions battling for the presidency.

A policy update in the Fall 2009 issue of Americas Quarterly examines health care systems in Cuba, Chile, Colombia, and Costa Rica.

Chile's former president, Ricardo Lagos, calls for a new global metric to measure a country's carbon footprint in the Fall 2009 issue of Americas Quarterly.

AS/COA honored Chilean President Michelle Bachelet with the Americas Society's Gold Insigne for Chile's economic and social achievements under her watch. “Chile is in a position to become a developed economy over the course of one generation and it is determined to do so," said the president during remarks.

While some journalists reporting in Latin America face threats to personal security, others deal with official intimidation in what some warn could roll back hard-won press freedoms. But governments and journalists have also taken steps to ensure greater access to information.