SANTIAGO: Conservative billionaire Sebastian Pinera led Chile’s presidential vote and is seen the favorite to win a runoff and lead a political shift in Latin America’s most stable economy after 20 years of leftist rule.
Pinera, an airline magnate who ranks No. 701 on Forbes’ global rich list, won 44 percent in Sunday’s voting, shy of the more than 50 percent needed for an outright victory, according to nearly complete official results.
It was the first time in decades a rightist has taken the most votes in a presidential race in Chile, a copper-mining powerhouse and a major exporter of fruit and salmon.
On Jan. 17, Pinera faces a second round against former President Eduardo Frei, who won only 29.6 percent of the vote even though his coalition-mate, outgoing President Michelle Bachelet, is highly popular.
