Chileans go to the polls on Sunday and are expected to elect the South American country's first female president, a socialist who is leading in the race against a moderate conservative billionaire, Reuters reported. Michelle Bachelet, a medical doctor and former defense minister has a 5-point lead over opposition candidate Sebastian Pinera, the latest poll showed. If she wins, Bachelet will be the fourth consecutive president from the center-left coalition. A Bachelet victory would also consolidate a shift to the left in Latin America, where different shades of leftists run Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Venezuela. A socialist will soon take office in Bolivia and a leftist is favored to win Mexico's presidential election in July. Last month, Bachelet won 46 percent of the vote in a four-way first-round presidential election. It was short of the absolute majority she needed to avoid a January runoff against Pinera, 56, who came in second with 25 percent.
