Sebastian Pinera was sworn in as president of Chile on Thursday, taking over a country battered by a recent earthquake but with a strong economy and stable social institutions. <br/> <br/>Pinera, 60, succeeded Michelle Bachelet, a popular president who steered the country through the global economic downturn and promoted progressive social reforms. <br/> <br/>Pinera, a billionaire, is the first conservative to lead Chile since the fall of Gen. Augusto Pinochet's military dictatorship in 1990. <br/> <br/>Educated in Chile and at Harvard University in the United States, Pinera is an economist, investor, businessman and former senator. <br/><br/>