Overview
- Michelle Bachelet announced she was pulling out of the contest in a video posted on social media after her support collapsed in Security Council straw polls.
- The third informal council poll showed Bachelet with just one “encourage” vote, 11 “discourage” votes and three “no opinion” votes, a steep fall from earlier rounds.
- Bachelet’s withdrawal leaves seven official candidates, with Costa Rica’s Rebeca Grynspan leading the latest poll on nine “encourage” votes and Guyana’s Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett close behind on eight.
- The Security Council will continue secret straw polls to find a single recommended candidate, a process that requires at least nine council votes and no veto from any of the five permanent members before the General Assembly vote.
- Bachelet’s exit followed Chile’s change of domestic backing and sharp shifts in council support, a development that highlights the race’s regional and gender dynamics and could speed consolidation of endorsements ahead of the General Assembly session.