President of Chile facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids President of the Republic of Chile
Presidential Standard
Incumbent Gabriel Boric since 11 March 2022
Executive branch of the Government of Chile
Style	His Excellency
Residence	Palace of Cerro Castillo
Seat	La Moneda Palace
Appointer	Popular vote
Term length	Four years, renewable for non-consecutive terms
Inaugural holder	Manuel Blanco Encalada
Formation	9 June 1826; 199 years ago (1826-06-09)
Succession	Line of succession
Deputy	Ministry of the Interior and Public Security (as ex officio "Vice-President")
Salary	155,199,315 Chilean pesos/US$190,466 annually

The President of Chile is the most important leader in the country. This person is both the head of state and the head of government for the Republic of Chile. They are in charge of running the government and managing the country.

Over time, the role of the president has changed. But it has always been a very important job in Chilean politics. It helps keep the country stable and organized.

Today, under the current Constitution from 1980, the president serves for four years. They cannot be elected again right away. This shorter term helps make sure that presidential and parliamentary elections happen at the same time. The president's main office is the La Moneda Palace in Santiago, the capital city.

Michelle Bachelet was the first woman to become president of Chile. She served two terms, from 2006 to 2010 and again from 2014 to 2018. The current president is Gabriel Boric. He won the 2021 Chilean general election and started his term on March 11, 2022.

A Look Back: The President's Journey
What Does a President Do?
Special Symbols of the President
Images for kids
See also

A Look Back: The President's Journey

Chile's story as a nation began in 1541. At that time, King Charles I separated it from the Viceroyalty of Peru. This created the new Kingdom of Chile. The king was still the head of state, but a local Royal Governor represented him.

What Does a President Do?

Who Can Be President?

The Constitution of 1980, updated in 2005, explains who can become president. To be eligible, a person must be a Chilean citizen from birth. Or, they can be born outside Chile if their parents or grandparents were Chilean.

They also need to be at least 35 years old. Plus, they must meet all the requirements to become a Senator. This includes being at least 18 years old and having the right to vote. They must not have been found guilty of serious crimes.

Juan Antonio Ríos voting in the 1942 election, where he was elected as President.

How is the President Chosen?

Article 26 of the Constitution explains how the president is elected. The president is chosen by a direct vote from the people. To win, a candidate needs more than half of all valid votes.

If no candidate gets more than 50% of the votes in the first round, there's a second election. This second vote, called a "balloting," happens a few weeks later. Only the two candidates with the most votes from the first round can participate. The person who gets the most votes in this second round becomes president.

How Long Does a President Serve?

Both Michelle Bachelet (center) and Sebastián Piñera (right) were elected for two non-consecutive terms.

The length of a president's term has changed over the years. In 1828, a president served for four years. They could not be re-elected right away. Later, in 1833, the term became five years, and a president could be re-elected once.

The 1925 constitution set the term at six years. Presidents could not be re-elected immediately. However, they could run again later, after someone else had served.

The original 1980 constitution set an eight-year term. Re-election was not allowed right away. During a period of military leadership, there was an exception for the leader at the time. Later, in 1989, a special four-year term was set for the first president after this period. After that, terms were eight years.

In 1994, the presidential term was reduced to six years. Immediate re-election was still not allowed.

Finally, with the 2005 constitutional changes, the president now serves for four years. They cannot be re-elected immediately for a second term. However, a former president can run again in a later election, after a different president has served. There is no limit to how many times a person can run if they haven't been president before.

The current president finishes their term on March 11 of the year after the election. The new president takes office on the same day.

What Happens if the President Can't Serve?

If the president cannot do their job, their powers usually go to the Minister of the Interior. This person is called the "Vice President" for that time. This is not a permanent role, but a temporary one. The minister only acts as president while the president is unable to serve or if the position is empty.

If both the president and the Minister of the Interior are unavailable, the next minister in line takes over. The Senate must agree for this temporary vice president to take on the president's duties.

Who Takes Over?

In 2011, a change to the constitution set the order of who takes over if the president cannot serve. Here is the order, with the people holding these positions as of 2023:

President of the Republic: Gabriel Boric

Minister of the Interior and Public Security: Carolina Tohá
Minister of Foreign Affairs: Alberto van Klaveren
Minister of National Defense: Maya Fernández
Minister of Finance: Mario Marcel
Minister Secretary-General of the Presidency: Álvaro Elizalde
Minister General Secretariat of Government: Camila Vallejo
Minister of Economy: Nicolás Grau
Minister of Social Development: Giorgio Jackson
Minister of Education: Marco Antonio Ávila
Minister of Justice: Luis Cordero Vega
Minister of Labor and Social Provision: Jeannette Jara
Minister of Housing & Urbanism: Carlos Montes Cisternas
President of the Senate: Juan Antonio Coloma Correa
President of the Chamber of Deputies: Ricardo Cifuentes

Special Symbols of the President

The Presidential Sash

President Patricio Aylwin (in office 1990–1994) wearing the presidential sash in his official portrait.

The presidential sash is a special symbol of the president's power. It was first used by Bernardo O'Higgins. It became an official symbol when President José Joaquín Prieto took office in 1831. The sash has three stripes, just like the Chilean flag. It is handmade and is about 75 cm (30 in) long and 13 cm (5 in) wide.

For many years, there was only one sash passed from president to president. But in 1915, a new sash had to be made because the outgoing president and the new one were very different in height. Since then, each president has their own sash. They wear it only for important official events.

The O'Higgins Star

The O'Higgins Pioche.

The O'Higgins Pioche is a star-shaped pin. It is considered the main symbol of presidential power. It is placed at the bottom of the presidential sash. The star has five points and is about 7 cm (3 in) across, colored red.

This star has a long history, going back to special medals. The original star disappeared in 1973 during an attack on the La Moneda palace. A new one was made based on old photos. This replica is now used with the presidential sash for official ceremonies.

The Presidential Cars

For many years, the president of Chile used a fancy horse-drawn Carriage for special events. This carriage was brought from France by President José Manuel Balmaceda.

However, President Salvador Allende decided to use a black 1966 Ford Galaxie XL convertible as his official car. This car was originally bought for Queen Elizabeth II's visit to Chile. He wanted to show a more modern image, not like royalty.

Today, both the old carriage and the Ford Galaxie are kept by the state. They are only used for very special events. These include state visits, national holidays like May 21 and September 19, and when a new president takes office on March 11.