“My willingness to contribute to this challenge remains intact,” Bachelet said in a statement, and added that she will continue working with the governments of Brazil and Mexico, which nominated her for the post.

The former president thanked the Chilean State for the initial confidence shown in her by publicly presenting her candidacy in September and formalizing it in February during the administration of former President Gabriel Boric.

Bachelet stated, “I understand that foreign policy definitions can change with new administrations, and as a former Head of State, I observe this decision as part of the prerogatives of the current president, even though my perspective differs.”

The Kast administration announced the withdrawal of its backing for Bachelet, arguing that the number of candidates from Latin American countries and the differences with some of the key players in the process made it unfeasible.

The decision was made after the Union Democrata Independiente (Independent Democratic Union-UDI), a right-wing party that is part of the government, expressed its rejection of the initiative to support Bachelet.

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