The Frente Amplio (Broad Front, a Chilean left-wing party) welcomed former president Michelle Bachelet's opening the door to a third presidential run in 2029, according to BioBioChile. However, party president Gael Yeomans, a member of the Chamber of Deputies, warned that there is still "a long way to go" before talking about names.
The reaction came after Bachelet was asked about the phrase "no hay segunda sin tercera" ("there's no second without a third"). Her answer was brief: "I think so… I think so". According to the outlet, it is the first time the former head of state has explicitly raised the possibility of running again for La Moneda, the presidential palace.
Bachelet governed Chile for two terms, 2006 to 2010 and 2014 to 2018. A third term would be unprecedented since the return to democracy.
According to BioBioChile, within the Frente Amplio there is talk of a sense of "joy". Yeomans highlighted the former president's role in the opposition. "We obviously value President Bachelet's entire career, what she has done for Chile and also what she contributes to the unity of progressivism," she said.
The deputy added that "it will always be worth recognizing that a leader like her is always available to help build that work". Even so, she avoided anticipating a party position on a possible candidacy.
Yeomans explained that the immediate priority is the debate on the 2027 Budget and putting forward the opposition's own proposal. "Right now we are focused on the budget debate, we are focused on building an alternative from progressivism that addresses today's needs," she said. She also pointed to the sector's proposals on employment and the budget as the roadmap for the coming months.
The Frente Amplio's caution contrasts with Bachelet's shift. A week ago, at an opposition event in La Pintana, a comuna (municipality) in Santiago, following the end of her candidacy for Secretary-General of the United Nations, she said she would not be "going home". On that occasion she did not talk about running again.
In September, Yeomans had already said the party would be "receptive" to whatever role Bachelet chose to take on. Now the conversation has changed in scale: the question is no longer whether the former president will remain active, but whether she will once again compete for La Moneda. The source does not include reactions from the governing parties.
For the Frente Amplio, the dilemma is concrete. A name with electoral weight can bring order to the opposition, but it can also delay the search for the party's own leaders. For now, the party has made its timeline clear: first the 2027 Budget, then the candidacies for 2029.
