Quinta Normal Mayor Karina Delfino took office this Thursday as secretary-general of the Socialist Party (PS) with unanimous support from its central committee. According to La Tercera, in her first interview in the role, she said her party must have its own presidential candidate.
Delfino fills the vacancy left by the death of Camilo Escalona, a former Senate president and a historic figure in the socialist movement. She belongs to the New Left, the internal faction Escalona led for decades. Arturo Barrios held the post on an interim basis.
The change comes six months before the PS's internal elections, scheduled for the second week of April next year. The opposition is also facing a difficult moment: disputes in the Senate, a minority position as it faces President José Antonio Kast's budget, and Michelle Bachelet's emergence in the presidential discussion.
On Escalona, Delfino was clear. "Camilo's leadership is irreplaceable," she said, adding that the party is entering a new phase with a different way of organizing itself internally.
The strongest remarks in the interview targeted opposition lawmakers who break ranks and vote differently from their bloc. Delfino said the opposition does not hold a majority in Congress and that these isolated votes hurt it. According to her, on issues such as security, "there is no room for nuance."
The party leader called on parties to act firmly and take measures against those who break ranks. Asked about Socialist Senator Fidel Espinoza, who said he would not let his party intimidate him, she replied that the conduct of any PS lawmaker must be discussed within the party's internal bodies. She did not specify any sanctions.
Regarding Bachelet, Delfino described her as the opposition's leading figure. She welcomed the former president's efforts to unite the opposition, though she clarified that Bachelet's gesture was not a declaration of candidacy. The presidential election is more than three and a half years away and, in her words, this is a statement of intent that may or may not materialize.
She also mentioned other names: former President Gabriel Boric, Santiago Mayor Tomás Vodanovic and former Minister Álvaro Elizalde. She highlighted Elizalde's past roles as Senate president, interior minister and PS president.
The underlying argument is historical. Delfino recalled that the socialist movement has not had a competitive presidential candidate since Bachelet, more than ten years ago. For now, her stated priority is the budget debate and building a shared opposition platform ahead of the internal election in April.
