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This 36-Year-Old Is Leading Latin America to a Green Revolution

A new generation of leaders in the commodity-rich region sees climate change and its link to inequality as the new political fault line.

Gabriel Boric addressed climate change during his acceptance speech after winning the presidency in December. — Gabriel Boric addressed climate change during his acceptance speech after winning the presidency in December.
Photographer: Cristobal Olivares/Bloomberg

By

Andrew Rosati and

March 11, 2022, 9:00 AM UTCUpdated onMarch 11, 2022, 3:45 PM UTC

At 36, Gabriel Boric is Chile’s youngest ever president and the most left-wing in half a century. He also aspires to be one of the world’s greenest heads of state.

Boric is in the vanguard of a new awareness across Latin America of climate change and its link to inequality, whether through access to clean water, the rainforest’s destruction, indigenous rights or sharing the benefits from mining.