President Sebastián Piñera, from "Coalición por el Cambio"
(a coalition entered by Renovación Nacional, Unión Demócrata Independiente and other center-right and independents), entered in office on March 11, 2010 (for a four year period). In the general election, he won the runoff against
Eduardo Frei
the candidate from center-left "Concertación".

Piñera campaigned on improving public education, a strong position against delincuency and drug trafficc,
strengthening administration procedures in the public sector

in order to attend better health services for the poor and unemployment benefits in a country intent on building a social safety net to match its free market reforms.

A few days before he took office, on February 27th, a 8,8 (Richter
scale)
earthquake occurred in the central-southern part of the country with devastating effects on main cities on the sea border and damaging seriously industries, hospitals, roads and housing on the region. This implies a considerable change in the government priorities.