Michelle Bachelet, Candidate For Chilean President, Backs Gay Marriage
- By
- Carlos Santoscoy
- | April 13, 2013
Former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet has announced she'll seek a second term in office.
The 62-year-old Bachelet returned to Chile following two years in New York, where she headed the United Nation's women's agency.
“I have taken the decision to be a candidate,” she told supporters on Wednesday shortly after her return.
Bachelet's four-year term as president ended in 2010 with the election of conservative President Sebastian Pinera. She remains a popular figure. In contrast, only 26 percent of citizens approve of Pinera's government, according to a recent poll.
In a wide-ranging interview with The Clinic, Bachelet said that she agreed with former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on the issue of marriage equality.
(Related: Hillary Clinton: I support gay marriage.)
“That gay marriage is now a topic that is discussed openly speaks of a country that sees itself as less prejudiced and has a greater sense of reality,” Bachelet answered. “I believe in the concept of a large family, which is based on caring relationships and support networks and less on stereotypes. So in the coming weeks, I will make a proposal to the nation on this subject.”