I'm John Batchew with my good colleague, Professor Evan Ellis of the U.S. Army War College.

We've been watching nations swing back and forth in their approach to the U.S., to the regional politics, of the vote.

Once upon a time, there was an understanding of a pink tide.

The pink tide is no longer mentioned as a metaphor, not even in Europe.

Instead, what we have is apparent steps towards the right of center.

And that is illustrated by the success of a right of center candidate in Chile, Mr. Koss.

Evan, what does this tell us about Chile, which is a state rich in resources, but these last

years has been dominated by socialist agendas?

Well, John, certainly you vote this past Sunday in Chile, in which the forces on the left had a historical low support,

suggests that Chile is moving back towards the right.

Chile historically has deep conservative roots.

It's a deeply Catholic country, had relatively strong institutionalization

going back to the military dictatorship period where essentially the dictatorship of General

Pinochet was seen as essentially resolving many of the problems of disorder that affected

other states. However, Chile, because of its own prosperity, one of the problems of disorder that affected other states. However, Chile, because of its own

prosperity, one of the, really the most prosperous, well-institutionalized countries in the region,

also begin to have what we in Europe would call middle class problems. And so you had previously

the left first with people such as Michelle Bachelet and most recently

through the Chile as a young current president, Gabriel Borch, trying to press for more

environmental issues, more educational issues, more types of social reform.

And so this kind of struggle in Chile between kind of a new generation that wanted more

government in addressing some of these social issues versus its conservative roots.

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