Former President Michelle Bachelet has called all opposition party leaders to a meeting this Thursday, at 09:30 at Fundación Bachelet, according to BioBioChile. No other outlet has confirmed the invitation so far.
According to the outlet, the Communist Party (PC) and the Party for Democracy (PPD) have reportedly already confirmed their attendance. The report does not specify which other parties received the invitation or whether they responded.
The meeting comes amid debate over a possible third bid by Bachelet for La Moneda. The former president governed Chile for two terms, between 2006 and 2010 and between 2014 and 2018.
Her inner circle denies any electoral purpose. According to BioBioChile, people close to the former president describe the gathering as a friendly meeting to thank them for the tribute she received in La Pintana. They say it is unrelated to a possible candidacy.
However, the same outlet reports that attendees are expected, at least, to coordinate on various current issues. BioBioChile does not specify what those issues might be.
The outlet also links the meeting to the failure of Bachelet's candidacy for the United Nations (UN). Following that setback, it suggests, her future once again appears close to another presidential bid. That interpretation is BioBioChile's, and the former president has not confirmed it.
The polling context gives the move weight. In recent Cadem polls, 41% saw Bachelet as the center-left's best presidential option, ahead of Gabriel Boric and Tomás Vodanovic. Among left-wing voters, the former president received 47% support compared with Boric's 44%.
For the opposition, the invitation could bring cohesion to a leadership that currently appears fragmented. For parties that do not attend, their absence will also send a signal. Thursday's meeting at Fundación Bachelet will show who answers the call.
