“Her experience as a head of state and her deep knowledge of the UN qualify her to be the first Latin American woman to lead the organization,” President Lula noted in a social media post.
As it stands today, António Guterres of Portugal heads the UN. He was re-elected in 2021 to a second five-year term (2022–2026).
The next secretary-general will not take office until January 1, 2027, but diplomatic negotiations are already underway.
Bachelet’s candidacy was put forward in early February by the governments of Chile, Brazil, and Mexico. In late March, however, following the change in Chile’s presidency with the arrival of conservative José Antonio Kast, the South American country withdrew its support. Brazil and Mexico continue to back the Chilean leader.
Based on the principle of rotational representation at the UN, Latin American countries believe that the next head of the organization must come from Latin America and the Caribbean.
The UN secretary-general is responsible for representing the international organization at meetings with world leaders, chairing the UN System Chief Executives Board for Coordination, and working to promote world peace and prevent the escalation of disputes and conflicts between countries.
Michelle Bachelet is 74 years old and served two terms as president of Chile. Her first term was from 2006 to 2010; her second ran from 2014 to 2018.
Before becoming president, she served as her country’s minister of defense and minister of health. She has a political career on the center-left and was a key leader in the fight against the dictatorship in Chile from 1973 to 1990.
On the international stage, Bachelet served as head of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and led UN Women.
Over the past 12 months, cumulative inflation stands at 4.39 percent, within the Brazilian government’s target of 3 percent, with a tolerance margin of 1.5 percentage points either way, allowing it to reach up to 4.5 percent. For the 12-month period ending in March, the rate stood at 4.14 percent. In April last year, inflation was 0.43 percent. The 12-month cumulative rate at that time stood at 5.53 percent.
Research analyst Fernando Gonçalves notes that the food and beverages group accounted for 43 percent of April’s inflation.
The cost of food at home rose 1.64 percent, while eating out increased 0.59 percent. Gonçalves explains that food prices rose due to product supply and transportation costs.
“In the case of milk, with the arrival of the drier weather typical of this time of year, pasture availability declines, requiring the use of feed for the animals, which drives up costs,” says Gonçalves.
He points out that much of the production is transported by truck. “The rise in diesel prices increases freight costs for food products and is passed on to the end consumer,” he states.
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