A new opinion poll in Chile indicates that presidential candidate Michelle Bachelet could become the first woman to be elected president in balloting scheduled for December.
The survey says Ms. Bachelet remains well ahead of three candidates also contesting the election to succeed President Ricardo Lagos, who by law cannot seek a second term.
The survey says 45 percent of voters polled would cast ballots for Ms. Bachelet.
Several weeks ago, Chile's ruling coalition declared Ms. Bachelet as its sole presidential candidate. A member of the Socialist Party, Ms. Bachelet gained full support from the coalition after Chile's powerful Christian Democrats endorsed her candidacy.
Some information for this report provided by AP and Bloomberg.