Pablo Longueira quits Chile campaign, strengthening Bachelet's chances
Pablo Longueira quits Chile campaign, strengthening Bachelet's chances
Candidate's withdrawal after suffering from depression leaves conservative campaign in further disarray
Associated Press in Santiago
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 17 July 2013 22.09 EDT
The conservative coalition's candidate in the Chilean presidential campaign has dropped out of the race because he suffers from depression, his son says.
The surprise resignation by Pablo Longueira was expected to further weaken the chances for the governing conservatives to beat former president Michelle Bachelet of the Socialist Party, who is the front-runner for the November 17 election.
"Our father is sick," Juan Pablo Longueira said at a news conference. "After the primary election, and after taking some days of rest, his health deteriorated as a result of a bout of depression that was medically diagnosed."
Longueira, 55, is a former economy minister and one of the founding members of the conservative Independent Democratic Union that supported General Augusto Pinochet's dictatorship.
More:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/18/longueira-quits-chile-campaign-bachelet
