171-641: Verónica Michelle Bachelet Jeria ( Spanish: [beˈɾonika miˈʃel βaʃeˈle ˈxeɾja] ; born 29 September 1951) is a Chilean politician who served as President of Chile from 2006 to 2010 and again from 2014 to 2018, becoming the first woman to hold the presidency. She was re-elected in December 2013 with over 62% of the vote, having previously received 54% in 2006, making her the first President of Chile to be re-elected since 1932. After her second term, she served as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2018 to 2022. Earlier in her career, she
342-580: A sexual education program to their curriculum. Bachelet's first political crisis came in late April 2006, when massive high school student demonstrations – unseen in three decades – broke out throughout the country, demanding better public education. In June 2006, she sought to dampen the student protests by setting up an 81-member advisory committee, including education experts from all political backgrounds, representatives of ethnic groups, parents, teachers, students, school owners, university rectors, people from diverse religious denominations, etc. Its purpose
513-582: A state of catastrophe and, on Sunday afternoon, sent military troops to the most affected areas in an effort to quell instances of looting and arson. She also imposed night curfews in the most affected cities, but was criticized for not deploying the troops quickly enough. In January 2010 Bachelet opened the Museum of Memory and Human Rights in Santiago, documenting the horrors of Pinochet's 16 + 1 ⁄ 2 -year dictatorship. In November she promulgated
684-579: A "Revolution in Liberty", a middle-class revolution that was funded by the United States government's Alliance for Progress . Frei carried out a series of progressive reforms, including land reform , an issue that had not been touched since Chile's independence in the early 19th century. According to historian Marian Schlotterbeck, this was "[John F.] Kennedy's vision –?stave off the threat of communist revolution by improving standards of living across
855-456: A 5.6% negative growth, and the government's fiscal deficit soared while foreign reserves declined. Unemployment rates had dropped from 6.3% in 1970 to 3.5% in 1972 before dropping again in 1973 to the lowest ever recorded. The combination of inflation and price controls, together with the disappearance of basic commodities from supermarket shelves, led to the rise of black markets in rice, beans, sugar, and flour. The Chilean economic situation
1026-658: A Latin American organisation for the development of science and technology appropriate to the region." He began negotiations with Bolivia over the historical dispute between the two countries (Bolivia had lost access to the sea since the War of the Pacific between 1879 and 1884) and welcomed Bolivia's maritime request. Nevertheless, relations became tense again following a coup d'état by Bolivian General Hugo Banzer in August 1971. At
1197-529: A bonus to female pensioners for every child born alive. In October 2006 Bachelet enacted legislation to protect subcontracted employees , which would benefit an estimated 1.2 million workers. In June 2009 she introduced pay equality legislation , guaranteeing equal pay for equal work in the private sector, regardless of gender. In September 2009 Bachelet signed the "Chile Grows with You" plan into law, providing comprehensive social services to vulnerable children from ages zero to six. That law also established
1368-660: A civilian government, and Chile was later ruled by the Government Junta , ending more than four decades of uninterrupted democratic governance, a period known as the Presidential Republic . The military junta that took over dissolved Congress, suspended the Constitution of 1925 , and initiated a program of persecuting alleged dissidents, in which at least 3,095 civilians disappeared or were killed. Pinochet's military dictatorship only ended after
1539-525: A cloak and military cap, perched atop an amphibious tank . By the end of 2004, Bachelet's surging popularity in opinion polls made her the only politician within the Coalition of Parties for Democracy (Concertación de los Partidos por la Democracia; CPD) who was capable of defeating Joaquín Lavín in the presidential election. As a result, she was chosen as the Socialist Party's candidate for
1710-743: A consultant for the Pan-American Health Organization , the World Health Organization , and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit . While working for the National AIDS Commission (Conasida), she became romantically involved with Aníbal Hernán Henríquez Marich, a fellow physician and a right-wing supporter of Pinochet, who fathered her third child, Sofía Catalina, in December 1992. Their relationship ended
1881-463: A day. Culture came into the reach of the masses for the first time, who responded enthusiastically. "Editorial Quimantu" encouraged the establishment of libraries in community organizations and trade unions. Through the supply of cheap textbooks, it enabled the Left to progress through the ideological content of the literature made available to workers. To improve social and economic conditions for women,
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#17327659608742052-621: A few years later. From March 1994 and July 1997, Bachelet worked as Senior Assistant to the Deputy Health Minister. Driven by an interest in civil-military relations, Bachelet began studying military strategy at the National Academy of Political and Strategic Studies (ANEPE) in Chile in 1996, earning first place in her class. This achievement earned her a presidential scholarship, allowing her to continue her studies in
2223-639: A former president, with 27.8% going to a third candidate, Radomiro Tomic of the Christian Democratic Party (PDC). According to the Chilean constitution of the time, if no presidential candidate obtained a majority of the popular vote, Congress would choose one of the two candidates with the highest number of votes as the winner. Tradition was for Congress to vote for the candidate with the highest popular vote, regardless of margin. Former president Jorge Alessandri had been elected in 1958 with
2394-426: A free milk program for schoolchildren and in shanty towns of Chile, and an expansion of the land seizure and redistribution already begun under his predecessor Eduardo Frei Montalva , who had nationalized between one-fifth and one-quarter of all the properties listed for takeover. Allende also intended to improve the socio-economic welfare of Chile's poorest citizens; a key element was to provide employment, either in
2565-633: A high of 5.7% in 2006 and a low of −1.0% in 2009 due to the global financial crisis. The real minimum wage increased an average of 2% per year, the lowest increase of any president since 1990, while unemployment hovered between 7 and 8% for the first three years, then rose to nearly 11% during 2009. Inflation averaged 4.5% per year, reaching close to 9% in 2008 due to rising food prices. Absolute poverty fell from 13.7% in November 2006 to 11.5% in November 2009. Bachelet began her term with an unprecedented absolute majority in both chambers of Congress. Prior to
2736-537: A law (submitted to Congress during the previous administration) creating the National Institute for Human Rights, with the goal of protecting and promoting human rights in the country. The law also allowed for the reopening of the Rettig and Valech commissions for 18 months. She used her power as president to send a bill to legalize gay marriages, and sponsored a reproductive rights bill. On 10 August 2018
2907-706: A law creating the Ministry for the Environment. The new legislation also created the Environmental Evaluation Service and the Superintendency for the Environment. Half of the ministries in her first government were occupied by women; in her successor's team, Sebastián Piñera , 18% were. Bachelet was widely credited for resisting calls from politicians within her own coalition to spend the country's huge copper revenues to close
3078-552: A life-long committed member of the Socialist Party of Chile , whose foundation he had actively contributed to, he unsuccessfully ran for the national presidency in the 1952 , 1958 , and 1964 elections. In 1970 , he won the presidency as the candidate of the Popular Unity coalition in a close three-way race. He was elected in a run-off by Congress , as no candidate had gained a majority. In office, Allende pursued
3249-596: A nation can be traced to 1541, when it was separated from the existing Viceroyalty of Peru by King Charles I , creating the new Kingdom of Chile . The head of state continued to be the king, but he was represented locally by the Royal Governor . The Constitution of 1980 , with its 2005 amendment, outlines the qualifications for becoming president. To be eligible, the individual must be a natural-born Chilean citizen or born abroad to Chilean parents or grandparents. They must also be at least 35 years old and meet all
3420-595: A non-governmental organization that provided support for the children of the missing and the tortured in Santiago and Chillán . She served as the head of the Medical Department of the foundation from 1986 and 1990. Some time after the birth of her second child with Dávalos, Francisca Valentina, in February 1984, she and her husband legally separated. Between 1985 and 1987, Bachelet had a romantic relationship with Alex Vojkovic Trier, an engineer and spokesman for
3591-404: A notorious secret detention center in Santiago, where they were separated and subjected to interrogation and torture. In 2013, Bachelet said she had been interrogated by DINA chief Manuel Contreras there. Some days later, Bachelet was transferred to Cuatro Álamos ("Four Poplars") detention center , where she was held until the end of January. Thanks to the assistance of Roberto Kozak , Bachelet
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#17327659608743762-435: A peak of $ 66 per ton in 1970 to only $ 48–49 in 1971 and 1972. Chile was already dependent on food imports, and the decline in export earnings coincided with declines in domestic food production following Allende's agrarian reforms. In 1971, Chile re-established diplomatic relations with Cuba, joining Mexico and Canada in rejecting a previously established Organization of American States convention prohibiting governments in
3933-457: A person can run for candidacy if they have not previously served as president. The incumbent president, in accordance with the constitution, completes their corresponding term on 11 March of the immediate year after the election. The president-elect takes office the same day. If the President is unable to perform his or her duties, the President's powers are usually temporarily transferred to
4104-692: A physician and anatomo-pathologist in the morgue of the Van Buren Hospital. He became the union leader of the Valparaíso doctors, becoming 1st Regional Secretary in Valparaíso. In 1935, at age 27, he was relegated to the city of Caldera for the second time and, in 1936, he was imprisoned in the Popular Front in Valparaíso. In 1937, he was elected Deputy of Valparaíso and Aconcagua and, in 1938, he served as Undersecretary General of
4275-757: A plurality of 31.6% over Allende's 28.85%. One month after the election, on 20 October, while the Senate had still to reach a decision and negotiations were actively in place between the Christian Democrats and the Popular Unity, General René Schneider , Commander in Chief of the Chilean Army, was shot resisting a kidnap attempt by a group led by General Roberto Viaux . Hospitalized, he died of his wounds three days later on 23 October. Schneider
4446-497: A policy he called " The Chilean Path to Socialism ". The coalition government was far from unanimous. Allende said that he was committed to democracy and represented the more moderate faction of the Socialist Party, while the radical wing sought a more radical course. Instead, the Communist Party of Chile favored a gradual and cautious approach that sought cooperation with Christian democrats , which proved influential for
4617-444: A proposed increase in electricity prices, restored diplomatic relations with Cuba, and granted amnesty to various political prisoners. In December 1970, the administration fixed bread prices; sent 55,000 volunteers to the south of the country to teach writing and reading skills and provide medical attention to an underserved sector of the population; established a central commission to oversee a tripartite payment plan in which equal place
4788-477: A right-wing opposition that she perceived as "obstructionist". By 2007, the CPD had lost its absolute majority in both chambers of Congress as several senators and deputies from the coalition became independent. In December 2006, Pinochet died. Bachelet decided not to grant him a state funeral , an honour bestowed upon constitutionally elected Chilean presidents, but a military funeral as former commander-in-chief of
4959-599: A scholarship from the Chilean Medical Chamber to specialize in pediatrics and public health at the Roberto del Río Children's Hospital at the University of Chile' (1983–86). She completed the program with excellent grades but did not receive her certification for "financial reasons". During this time, Bachelet also worked at PIDEE (Protection of Children Injured by States of Emergency Foundation),
5130-571: A series of circumstances that forced me to abstain". The government quickly recalled Huepe and accepted his resignation. In May 2008, Bachelet became the first President pro tempore of the Union of South American Nations (Unasur) and in September she called for an urgent summit after Bolivian President Evo Morales warned of a possible coup attempt against him. The presidents of Bolivia, Ecuador, Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil and Colombia, and
5301-414: A six-year term, without an immediate reelection. Under the 2005 constitutional reform, the president serves for four years without the possibility of immediate reelection for one more term. A former president may run for office once again after serving their initial term, but only in an election following their successor, as it is not allowed to run for consecutive terms. There is no limit to how many times
Michelle Bachelet - Misplaced Pages Continue
5472-559: A social welfare management framework called the "Intersectoral Social Protection System", made up of subsystems such as "Chile Solidario" and "Chile Grows with You". Between 2008 and 2010 the Bachelet administration delivered a so-called "literary briefcase" (a box of books including encyclopedias, dictionaries, poetry works and books for both children and adults) to the 400,000 poorest families with children attending primary school from first to fourth grade. In March 2009, Bachelet launched
5643-428: A socialist regime is the only way available to modern nations who want to build rationally in freedom, independence and dignity. We are moving towards socialism because the people, through their vote, have freely rejected capitalism as a system which has resulted in a crudely unequal society, a society deformed by social injustice and degraded by the deterioration of the very foundations of human solidarity. Upon assuming
5814-573: A sophisticated operations room ( Opsroom ) would provide a space where managers could see relevant economic data, formulate feasible responses to emergencies, and transmit advice and directives to enterprises and factories in alarm situations by using the telex network. In conjunction with the system, the Cybersyn development team also planned the Cyberfolk device system, a closed television circuit connected to an interactive apparatus that would enable
5985-487: A stroke the benefits that the Generalised System of Preferences brings to developing countries". Allende's Popular Unity government tried to maintain normal relations with the United States. When Chile nationalized its copper industry , the United States government cut off support and increased its support to the opposition. Forced to seek alternative sources of trade and finance, Chile gained commitments from
6156-624: A success if a left-wing successor to Allende was going to be elected. In the first year of Allende's term, the short-term economic results of the economy minister Pedro Vuskovic 's expansive monetary policy were highly favorable: 12% industrial growth and an 8.6% increase in GDP, accompanied by major declines in inflation (down from 34.9% to 22.1%) and unemployment (down to 3.8%). By 1972, the Chilean escudo had an inflation rate of 140%. The average real GDP contracted between 1971 and 1973 at an annual rate of
6327-428: A symbol of the authority of the first president with the assumption of office by President José Joaquín Prieto in 1831. It is composed of three stripes with the colors of the Chilean flag, it is sewn by hand and measured approximately 75 cm (30 in) long and 13 cm (5.1 in) wide. From the nineteenth century a single sash was maintained that was transferred from president to president until 1915, due to
6498-608: A system of clinics in working-class neighborhoods on the peripheries of the major cities, providing a health center for every 40,000 inhabitants. Statistics for construction in general, and housebuilding in particular, reached some of the highest levels in the history of Chile. Four million square metres were completed in 1971–72, compared to an annual average of 2 + 1 ⁄ 2 million between 1965 and 1970. Workers were able to acquire goods which had previously been beyond their reach, such as heaters, refrigerators, and television sets. As further noted by Ricardo Israel Zipper, "By now meat
6669-724: A total of $ 2.6 million to finance the presidential campaign of Eduardo Frei . The possibility of Allende winning Chile's 1970 election was deemed a disaster by the Nixon administration that wanted to protect American geopolitical interests by preventing the spread of Communism during the Cold War . In September 1970, then United States president Richard Nixon informed the CIA that an Allende government in Chile would not be acceptable and authorized $ 10 million to stop Allende from coming to power or unseat him. A CIA document declared, "It
6840-419: A total of 550%. The incomes of 300,000 retirement pensioners were increased by the government from one-third of the minimum salary to the full amount. Labor insurance cover was extended to 200,000 market traders, 130,000 small shop proprietors, 30,000 small industrialists, small owners, transport workers, clergy, professional sportsmen, and artisans. The public health service was improved, with the establishment of
7011-536: A university student, Bachelet joined the Socialist Youth and was an active supporter of the Popular Unity . In the immediate aftermath of the coup, she and her mother worked as couriers for the underground Socialist Party directorate, which was trying to organize a resistance movement . Eventually, almost all of them were captured and disappeared . In the second half of the 1980s, Bachelet, after her return from exile, became politically active, fighting for
Michelle Bachelet - Misplaced Pages Continue
7182-399: Is a revolution of production", whereas "Allende's was a revolution of consumption." In October 1972, the first of what were to be a wave of strikes was led first by truckers, and later by small businessmen, some (mostly professional) unions and some student groups. Other than the inevitable damage to the economy, the chief effect of the 24-day strike was to induce Allende to bring the head of
7353-489: Is firm and continuing policy that Allende be overthrown by a coup." Henry Kissinger 's 40 Committee and the CIA planned to impede Allende's investiture as President of Chile with covert efforts known as "Track I" and "Track II"; Track I sought to prevent Allende from assuming power via so-called "parliamentary trickery", while under the Track II initiative, the CIA tried to convince key Chilean military officers to carry out
7524-409: Is the second child of archaeologist Ángela Jeria Gómez (1926–2020) and Air Force Brigadier General Alberto Bachelet Martínez (1923–1974). Bachelet's great-great-grandfather, Louis-Joseph Bachelet Lapierre (1820–1864), was a French wine merchant from Chassagne-Montrachet who immigrated to Chile with his Parisian wife, Françoise Jeanne Beault, in 1860. He was hired as a wine-making expert by
7695-547: The Frente de Acción Popular (Popular Action Front, FRAP), he obtained only 5.4% of the votes, partly due to a division within socialist ranks over support for Carlos Ibáñez . In 1958, again as the FRAP candidate, Allende obtained 28.5% of the vote. This time, his defeat was attributed to votes lost to the populist Antonio Zamorano. This explanation has been questioned by modern research that suggest Zamorano's votes came from across
7866-474: The 11 September 1973 coup d'état , Bachelet's father was detained at the Air War Academy on charges of treason. Following months of daily torture at Santiago's Public Prison, he suffered a cardiac arrest that resulted in his death on 12 March 1974. In early January 1975, Bachelet and her mother were detained at their apartment by two DINA agents, who blindfolded them and drove them to Villa Grimaldi ,
8037-535: The Chilean Senate in 1966. During the 1950s, Allende introduced legislation that established the Chilean national health service, the first program in the Americas to guarantee universal health care. His three unsuccessful bids for the presidency (in the 1952 , 1958 , and 1964 elections ) prompted Allende to joke that his epitaph would be "Here lies the next president of Chile." In 1952, as candidate for
8208-775: The Everton de Viña del Mar sports club (named after the more famous English football club of the same name ). In 1926, at the age of 18, he studied medicine at the University of Chile in Santiago and was elected President of the Student Center in 1927. In 1928, he entered the Grand Lodge of Chile and was elected vice president of the Federation of Students of the University of Chile in 1929. In 1930, he became
8379-684: The Herder Institute of Karl Marx University (now the University of Leipzig ). She gave birth to her first child with Dávalos, Jorge Alberto Sebastián, in June 1978. She returned to Potsdam in September 1978 to continue her medical studies at the Humboldt University of Berlin for two years. Five months after enrolling as a student, however, she obtained authorization to return to her country. After four years in exile, Bachelet returned to Chile in 1979. Her medical school credits from
8550-602: The Italian Communist Party and the Historic Compromise . As president, Allende sought to nationalize major industries, expand education, and improve the living standards of the working class. He clashed with the right-wing parties that controlled Congress and with the judiciary. On 11 September 1973, the military moved to oust Allende in a coup d'état supported by the CIA , which initially denied
8721-492: The Manuel Rodríguez Patriotic Front , an armed group that, among other actions, attempted to assassinate Pinochet in 1986. The affair was a minor issue during her presidential campaign, during which she stated that she never supported any of Vojkovic's activities. After Chile's transition to democracy in 1990, Bachelet worked for the Ministry of Health's West Santiago Health Service and served as
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#17327659608748892-585: The Minister of the Interior under the title of " Vice President ". However, this is not a substantive position. Rather, the holder of the position fulfills the duties of the President only for as long as the President is incapacitated or a vacancy occurs. If the President and the Minister of the Interior are both temporarily unavailable, the next minister of the government, in the order of succession, becomes
9063-493: The National Congress in Valparaíso attended by many foreign heads of states and delegates. Much of Bachelet's first three months as president were spent working on 36 measures she had promised during her campaign to implement during her first 100 days in office. They ranged from simple presidential decrees, such as providing free health care for older patients, to complex bills to reform the social security system and
9234-858: The Non-Aligned Movement , a position that was then almost unique in Latin America. Chile, which until then had been fussy about ideological boundaries, diversified its diplomatic and trade relations, regardless of the internal political regime of each country. The government established diplomatic relations with two Latin American countries (Cuba and Guyana ), seven African countries ( Congo , Equatorial Guinea , Libya , Madagascar , Nigeria , Tanzania , and Zaire ), three European countries (Albania, East Germany and Hungary) and seven Asian countries (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, North Korea, China, Mongolia, South Vietnam and North Vietnam). It tried to promote Latin American integration. At
9405-562: The Socialist Party of Chile . In 1933, Allende co-founded with Marmaduque Grove and others a section of the Socialist Party of Chile in Valparaíso and became its chairman. He married Hortensia Bussi with whom he had three daughters. He was a Freemason , a member of the Lodge Progreso No. 4 in Valparaíso. In 1933, he published his doctoral thesis Higiene Mental y Delincuencia (Crime and Mental Hygiene) in which he criticized Cesare Lombroso 's proposals. In 1938, Allende
9576-560: The Soviet Union to invest some $ 400 million in Chile in the next six years. The United States Departement of State put it at $ 115 million from Eastern Europe and $ 65 million from China, while Soviet and Chilean Popular Unity sources put it at total of $ 620 million from socialist countries. Much of the credit was never utilized, and the Soviets were not willing to subsidize Chile the same way they did for Cuba. Allende's government
9747-478: The Statute was only a tactical move. In his speech to the Chilean legislature following his election, Allende made clear his intention to move Chile from a capitalist to a socialist society: We are moving towards socialism, not from an academic love for a doctrinaire system, but encouraged by the strength of our people, who know that it is an inescapable demand if we are to overcome backwardness and who feel that
9918-521: The Subercaseaux vineyards in Santiago . Bachelet Lapierre's son, Germán, was born in Santiago in 1862 and, in 1891, married Luisa Brandt Cadot, a Chilean of French and Swiss descent. They had a son, Alberto Bachelet Brandt, born in 1894. Bachelet's maternal great-grandfather, Máximo Jeria Chacón, of Spanish ( Basque ) and Greek heritage, was the first person in Chile to earn a degree in agronomic engineering . He founded several agronomy schools in
10089-574: The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), which he considered to be more representative since it allowed economic and trade issues to be negotiated on an equal legal footing. In a speech to UNCTAD, he also warned of the policy of the United States, Japan and the European Economic Community to progressively eliminate obstacles to free trade . He said that "freeing up trade ... erases at
10260-480: The Western Hemisphere from establishing diplomatic relations with Cuba. Shortly afterward, Cuban president Fidel Castro made a month-long visit to Chile . Originally, the visit was supposed to be one week; however, Castro enjoyed Chile and one week led to another. Despite his attitude of socialist solidarity, Castro was reportedly critical of Allende's policies. Castro was quoted as saying that "Marxism
10431-734: The balance of power within the Coalition, Bachelet named seven ministers from the Christian Democrat Party (PDC), five from the Party for Democracy (PPD), four from the Socialist Party (PS), one from the Social Democrat Radical Party (PRSD), and three without party affiliation. Bachelet was sworn in as President of the Republic of Chile on 11 March 2006 in a ceremony held in a plenary session of
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#173276596087410602-421: The embargo . No Chilean head of state had visited the country in 37 years. Despite petitions from the Christian Democratic Party of her own governing coalition, and of the opposition parties , Bachelet did not meet with Cuban dissidents during her visit. Soon after the meeting, Castro wrote that the "fascist and vengeful Chilean oligarchy is the same which more than 100 years ago robbed Bolivia of its access to
10773-520: The experimental viable system model and the neural network approach to organizational design, the Project consisted of four modules: a network of telex machines ( Cybernet ) in all state-run enterprises that would transmit and receive information with the government in Santiago . Information from the field would be fed into statistical modeling software ( Cyberstride ) that would monitor production indicators, such as raw material supplies or high rates of worker absenteeism, in "almost" real time, alerting
10944-451: The national political organization have also evolved, it remains one of the most prominent political offices in the country. It is also considered one of the key institutions that form the "Historic Constitution of Chile," and is crucial to the country's political stability. Under the current Constitution , adopted in 1980 , the president serves a four-year term and is not eligible for immediate re-election. The shorter term (previously it
11115-534: The "I Choose my PC" program, awarding free computers to poor seventh-graders with excellent academic performance attending government-subsidized schools. During 2009 and 2010 Bachelet delivered maternity packages to all babies born in public hospitals, which are about 80% of total births. In January 2010, Bachelet promulgated a law allowing the distribution of emergency contraception pills in public and private health centers, including to persons under 14, without parental consent. The law also requires high schools to add
11286-433: The "Vice President". The consent of the Senate is required for the Vice President to exercise the duties of the President. A partial constitutional amendment in 2011 established the order of presidential succession in the order of Minister of the Interior, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Minister of National Defense. Names of incumbents as of 2023 : The presidential sash , used initially by Bernardo O'Higgins , became
11457-412: The 1971 Latin American Economic and Social Council, the Chilean representative Gonzalo Martner García formulated four major proposals, summarized by the historian Jorge Magasich: "1) to ask the United States for a moratorium on external debt for a decade in order to allocate these sums to development policies; 2) to create a Latin American central bank to "invest Latin America's reserves, 70% of which are in
11628-592: The 1971–73 period. Additionally, Allende government had reduced inflation to 14% in the first nine months of 1971. Allende's first step in early 1971 was to raise minimum wages (in real terms) for blue-collar workers by 37–41% and by 8–10% for white-collar workers. Education, food, and housing assistance expanded significantly, with public housing starts going up twelvefold and eligibility for free milk extended from age 6 to age 15. A year later, blue-collar wages were raised by 27% in real terms and white-collar wages became fully indexed. Price controls were also set up, while
11799-422: The Allende Government introduced a system of distribution networks through various agencies (including local committees on supply and prices) to ensure that shopkeepers adhered to the new rules. The new Minister of Agriculture, Jacques Chonchol , promised to expropriate all estates which were larger than eighty "basic" hectares (about 200 acres). That promise was kept, with no farm in Chile exceeding that limit by
11970-464: The Army appointed by President Salvador Allende. She also refused to declare an official national day of mourning , but did authorize flags at military barracks to fly at half staff . Pinochet's coffin was also allowed to be draped in a Chilean flag. Bachelet did not attend his funeral, saying it would be "a violation of [her] conscience", and sent Defense Minister Vivianne Blanlot instead. In April 2008, Bachelet's Education Minister, Yasna Provoste ,
12141-412: The Chilean Congress. Almost immediately after his election, Nixon directed CIA and US State Department officials to "put pressure" on the Allende government. His economic policies were used by economists Rudi Dornbusch and Sebastián Edwards to coin the term macroeconomic populism . In 1972, Chile's inflation stood at 150%. Salvador Allende took office in a difficult international context. Chile
12312-547: The Chilean Constitution and acting undemocratically. Allende's increasingly bold socialist policies (partly in response to pressure from some of the more radical members within his coalition), combined with his close contacts with Cuba, heightened fears in Washington. The Nixon administration continued exerting economic pressure on Chile via multilateral organizations and continued to back Allende's opponents in
12483-416: The Chilean Constitution. Article 26 detail the electoral requirements. The president shall be elected by direct ballot, with an absolute majority of the votes validly cast. A two-round system is used. In order to win the election in the first round, the winning candidate's party must receive more than 50 percent of the valid votes leaving out of the count blank and spoiled votes. The election shall be held
12654-522: The Chilean ambassador in Lima for consultations. The United Nations Security Council election held on 16 October 2006 , which saw a deadlock between Venezuela and Guatemala for the two-year, non-permanent Latin American and Caribbean seat on the Security Council , developed into a significant ideological issue in Chile and was viewed as a test for Bachelet. The governing coalition was split, with
12825-568: The Chilean appeals court and the government was ordered to return trucks to their owners. Throughout his presidency, racial tensions between the poor descendants of indigenous people, who supported Allende's reforms, and the white elite increased. Throughout his presidency, Allende remained at odds with the Chilean Congress, which was dominated by the Christian Democratic Party. In 1964, Eduardo Frei had promised
12996-631: The Chilean government filed a formal diplomatic protest with Peru and summoned home its ambassador after Peru published an official map claiming a part of the Pacific Ocean that Chile considers its sovereign territory. Peru said this was just another step in its plans to bring the dispute to the International Court of Justice in The Hague . In January 2008 Peru asked the court to consider the dispute, prompting Bachelet to summon home
13167-492: The Chilean state-owned and independent public broadcaster Televisión Nacional de Chile (TVN) canceled the broadcast of a documentary about the War of the Pacific after a cautionary call was made to the stations' board of directors by Chilean Foreign Relations Minister Alejandro Foxley , apparently acting on demands made by the Peruvian ambassador to Chile; the show was finally broadcast in late May of that year. In August 2007
13338-624: The Congress who sent a telegram to Adolf Hitler denouncing the persecution of Jews . Following President Aguirre Cerda's death in 1941, he was again elected deputy while the Popular Front was renamed Democratic Alliance . In 1945, Allende became senator for the Valdivia , Llanquihue , Chiloé , Aisén , and Magallanes provinces; then for Tarapacá and Antofagasta in 1953; for Aconcagua and Valparaíso in 1961; and once more for Chiloé, Aisén, and Magallanes in 1969. He became president of
13509-509: The GDR were not recognized, so she had to restart her studies where she left off before she fled the country. Despite this setback, she graduated as physician-surgeon on 7 January 1983. Bachelet wanted to work in the public sector where she could make the most impact, but her request to work as a general practitioner was denied by the military government on "political grounds". However, Bachelet's academic achievements and published papers earned her
13680-581: The Liceo de Valdivia. In 1922, he entered the Eduardo de la Barra school at the age of 16, studying there until 1924. As a teenager, his main intellectual and political influence came from the shoe-maker Juan De Marchi , an Italian-born anarchist . In 1925, he attended the military service in the Cuirassier Regiment of Tacna . Allende was a talented athlete in his youth, being a member of
13851-547: The Pacific and of copper-rich lands in a humiliating war ". In March 2009, Bachelet hosted in Viña del Mar the "Progressive Leaders Summit", meeting with U.S. Vice President Joe Biden , British Prime Minister Gordon Brown , Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero and presidents Tabaré Vázquez of Uruguay, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil and Cristina Fernández de Kirchner of Argentina. The meeting garnered some media interest because it took place six days before
14022-676: The Secretary-General of the Organization of American States , met with Bachelet at the La Moneda Palace in Santiago, where they agreed to send two commissions to Bolivia: one to mediate between the executive and the opposition, and another to investigate the killings in Pando Department . In February 2009, Bachelet visited Cuba and met with Fidel Castro . There she urged the United States to put an end to
14193-548: The Socialists supporting Venezuela's bid and the Christian Democrats strongly opposing it. The day before the vote, the president announced through her spokesman that Chile would abstain, citing the lack of regional consensus on a single candidate, ending months of speculation. In March 2007, Chile's ambassador to Venezuela, Claudio Huepe , said in an interview with teleSUR that Bachelet personally told him that she had initially intended to vote for Venezuela but then "there were
14364-463: The Soviet Union in late 1972 in search of more aid and additional lines of credit after three years, he was turned down. The United States opposition to Allende started several years before he was elected President of Chile. Declassified documents show that from 1962 to 1964, the CIA spent $ 3 million on anti-Allende propaganda "to scare voters away from Allende's FRAP coalition" and spent
14535-744: The United States at the Inter-American Defense College in Washington, D.C., where she completed a Continental Defense Course in 1998. That same year she returned to Chile to work for the Defense Ministry as the Senior Assistant to the Defense Minister and went on to graduate from a Master's program in military science at the Chilean Army 's War Academy. In 1970, during her first year as
14706-418: The United States", to receive "the region's deposits and assets" and to coordinate the operations of the central banks in order to protect the region from financial turbulence; 3) Promote the creation of a global technology fund for development, fed by compulsory contributions of licenses, industrial processes and other funds for research, so as to limit the abuses associated with technological property; 4) Create
14877-588: The United States, where her father was assigned to the military mission at the Chilean Embassy in Washington, D.C. Her family lived for almost two years in Bethesda, Maryland , where she attended Western Junior High School and learned to speak English fluently. Returning to Chile in 1964, she graduated in 1969 from Liceo Nº 1 Javiera Carrera , a prestigious girls' public high school, finishing near
15048-568: The Women's Secretariat was established in 1971, which took on issues such as public laundry facilities, public food programs, day-care centers, and women's health care (especially prenatal care). The duration of maternity leave was extended from 6 to 12 weeks, while the Allende Government steered the educational system towards poorer Chileans by expanding enrollments through government subsidies. A "democratisation" of university education
15219-402: The allegations. In 2000, the CIA admitted its role in the 1970 kidnapping of General René Schneider who had refused to use the army to stop Allende's inauguration. Declassified documents released in 2023 showed that US president Richard Nixon , his national security advisor Henry Kissinger , and the United States government, which had branded Allende as a dangerous communist, were aware of
15390-416: The army to replace René Schneider. Allende assumed the presidency on 3 November 1970 after signing a Statute of Constitutional Guarantees proposed by the Christian Democrats in return for their support in Congress. In an extensive interview with Régis Debray in 1972, Allende explained his reasons for agreeing to the guarantees. Some critics have interpreted Allende's responses as an admission that signing
15561-407: The army, general Carlos Prats , into the government as Interior Minister. Allende also instructed the government to commandeer trucks to keep the nation from coming to a halt. Government supporters also helped to mobilize trucks and buses, but violence served as a deterrent to full mobilization, even with police protection for the strike-breakers. Allende's actions were eventually declared unlawful by
15732-410: The center-right ( RN ), Joaquín Lavín from the right-wing ( UDI ), and Tomás Hirsch from the left ( JPM ). As predicted by opinion polls, she didn't receive the absolute majority needed to win the election outright, obtaining 46% of the vote. On 15 January 2006, she went on to face Piñera in the runoff election and won the presidency with 53.5% of the vote, becoming Chile's first female president and
15903-461: The citizenry to actively participate in economic and political decision-making. Allende raised wages on a number of occasions throughout 1970 and 1971, but the wage hikes were negated by ongoing inflation of Chile's fiat currency . Although price rises had been high even under Frei (27% a year between 1967 and 1970), a basic basket of consumer goods rose by 120% from 190 to 421 escudos in one month alone, August 1972. From 1970 to 1972, while Allende
16074-416: The construction of a new subway line in Santiago, to be operational by 2014 (the date was later changed to mid-2016). In February 2007 Santiago's transport system was radically altered with the introduction of Transantiago , designed under the previous administration. The system was nearly unanimously condemned by the media, the users and the opposition, significantly damaging her popularity, and leading to
16245-478: The construction of health infrastructure". Small programs targeted at women were also experimented with, such as cooperative laundries and communal food preparation, together with an expansion of child-care facilities. The National Supplementary Food Program was extended to all primary school pupils and to all pregnant women, regardless of their employment or income condition. Complementary nutritional schemes were applied to malnourished children, while antenatal care
16416-503: The construction of the Santiago subway so as to serve working class neighborhoods first. Workers benefited from increases in social security payments, an expanded public works program, and a modification of the wage and salary adjustment mechanism that had originally been introduced in the 1940s to cope with the country's chronic inflation. Middle class Chileans benefited from the elimination of taxes on modest incomes and property. In addition, state-sponsored programs distributed free food to
16587-508: The continent". The Christian Democrats had campaigned on a socialist platform in the 1970 elections but drifted away from those positions during Allende's presidency, and accused Allende of leading Chile toward a Cuban-style dictatorship and sought to overturn many of his more radical policies. They eventually formed a coalition with the National Party . Allende and his opponents in Congress repeatedly accused each other of undermining
16758-696: The country and married Lely Johnson, the daughter of an English physician working in Chile. Their son, Máximo Jeria Johnson, married Ángela Gómez Zamora, and they had five children, with Bachelet's mother being the fourth. Bachelet was born in La Cisterna , a middle-class suburb of Santiago . She was named after French actress Michèle Morgan . Bachelet spent many of her childhood years traveling around her native Chile, moving with her family from one military base to another. She lived and attended primary schools in, among other places, Quintero , Antofagasta , and San Bernardo . In 1962, she moved with her family to
16929-403: The country's neediest citizens, and in the countryside, peasant councils were established to mobilize agrarian workers and small proprietors. In the government's first budget presented to Congress in November 1970, the minimum taxable income level was raised, removing from the tax pool 35% of those who had paid taxes on earnings in the previous year. In addition, the exemption from general taxation
17100-407: The effort to keep Durán in the race, the propaganda campaign to denigrate Allende – were 'indispensable ingredients of Frei's success'", and they thought that his chances of winning and the good progress of his campaign would have been doubtful without the covert support of the government of the United States . Thus, in 1964 Allende lost once more as the FRAP candidate, polling 38.6% of
17271-552: The electoral system. For her first state visit , Bachelet chose Argentina, arriving in Buenos Aires on 21 March. There she met with president Néstor Kirchner , with whom she signed strategic agreements on energy and infrastructure, including the possibility of launching a bidding process to operate the Transandine Railway . In March 2006 Bachelet created an advisory committee to reform the pension system, which
17442-508: The elimination of appointed senators in the 2005 constitutional reforms, the CPD had never held a majority in the Senate. However, she was soon met with internal opposition from several discontented lawmakers in both chambers of Congress, known as díscolos ("disobedient", "ungovernable"). This opposition jeopardized the coalition's fragile and historic congressional majority on a number of key executive-sponsored bills during much of her first two years in office and forced Bachelet to negotiate with
17613-1033: The end of 1972. Within eighteen months the Latifundia (extensive agricultural estates) had been abolished. The agrarian reform had involved the expropriation of 3,479 properties which, added to the 1,408 properties incorporated under the Frei government, made up some 40% of the total agricultural land area in the country. Particularly in rural areas, the Allende government launched a campaign against illiteracy, while adult education programs expanded, together with educational opportunities for workers. From 1971 to 1973, enrolments in kindergarten, primary, secondary, and post-secondary schools all increased. The Allende government encouraged more doctors to begin practising in rural and low-income urban areas, and built additional hospitals, maternity clinics, and especially neighborhood health-centers that remained open for longer hours to serve
17784-410: The exceptional possibility of his reelection in the 1988 plebiscite . Then, in the transition to democracy the 1989 referendum established a first transitional four-year presidential term (1990–1994), followed by common eight-year terms, without the possibility of immediate reelection. However, in 4 March 1994 (a week before Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle took office) the presidential period was reduced to
17955-464: The factories, higher pensions for widows, maternity care, and free lunch programs for schoolchildren. Upon entering the government, Allende relinquished his congressional seat for Valparaíso, which he had won in 1937. Around that time, he wrote La Realidad Médico Social de Chile ( The Social and Medical Reality of Chile ). After Kristallnacht in Nazi Germany , Allende was one of 76 members of
18126-424: The first quarter of 1971, while in the same period real minimum wages for white-collar workers were increased by 23%, a development that decreased the differential ratio between blue- and white-collar workers' minimum wage from 49% (1970) to 35% (1971). Central government expenditures went up by 36% in real terms, raising the share of fiscal spending in GDP from 21% (1970) to 27% (1971), and as part of this expansion,
18297-438: The first 100 days of Lagos's government. Although she was successful in reducing the waiting lists by 90%, she was unable to completely eliminate them and offered her resignation, which was promptly rejected by the President. Bachelet authorized the free distribution of the morning-after pill for victims of sexual abuse , which sparked controversy. On 7 January 2002 Bachelet was appointed Minister of National Defense , becoming
18468-418: The first election, limited to the two candidates with the highest relative majorities. Then, the candidate with the majority of valid votes in that round is elected president. Previously, under the 1925 constitution, the Congress of Chile elected the president in the run-off, including (notably) in the 1970 Chilean presidential election . Under the 1828 constitution, the president served for four years, without
18639-494: The first woman in Latin America to reach the presidency through a direct election without being the wife of a previous head of state or political leader. On 30 January 2006, Bachelet was declared President-elect by the Elections Certification Court (Tricel) and announced her cabinet, which, for the first time, was composed of an equal number of men and women, as promised during her campaign. To reflect
18810-413: The first woman in a Latin American country and one of the few in the world to hold this position. As Minister of Defense, she fostered reconciliatory gestures between the military and victims of the dictatorship, leading to General Juan Emilio Cheyre , head of the army, making a historic declaration in 2003 that the military would "never again" subvert democracy in Chile. Additionally, she oversaw reforms of
18981-413: The first year of the Allende Government. In addition, while the average annual increase in personal spending had been 4.8% in the period 1965–70, it reached 11.9% in 1971. During the first two years of Allende's presidency, state expenditure on health rose from around 2% to nearly 3.5% of GDP. According to Jennifer E. Pribble , the new spending "was reflected not only in public health campaigns, but also in
19152-493: The height differences between the outgoing Ramón Barros Luco and the elected Juan Luis Sanfuentes , so a new sash had to be designed. Since that date, each president has had his or her own presidential sash, which is used only in official ceremonies. The O'Higgins Pioche , which is considered the symbol of presidential power and is placed at the lower end of the presidential sash, is a star of five ends of about 7 cm (2.8 in) in diameter, enameled in red. It dates back to
19323-702: The highly anticipated G-20 Summit in London. President of Chile The President of Chile ( Spanish : Presidente de Chile ), officially known as the President of the Republic of Chile ( Spanish : Presidente de la República de Chile ), is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of Chile . The president is responsible for both government administration and state administration. Although its role and significance have changed over time , and its position and relations with other actors in
19494-663: The image of royalty that carriages now confer, used the black 1966 Ford Galaxie XL convertible acquired in 1968 for Queen Elizabeth II's visit to Chile as his official vehicle with a normally issued license plate (EL-2801). Both the carriage and the Galaxie have since been maintained by the state and are now used only for official ceremonies, such as state visits and the national holidays on 21 May and 19 September, and presidential inaugurations which take place on 11 March every four years. Salvador Allende Salvador Guillermo Allende Gossens (26 June 1908 – 11 September 1973)
19665-481: The income gap. Instead in 2007 she created the Economic and Social Stabilization Fund, a sovereign wealth fund which accumulates fiscal surpluses above 1% of GDP. This allowed her to finance new social policies and provide economic stimulus packages when the 2008 financial crisis hit the country. During her four years in office, the economy grew at an average rate of 3.3% per year (2.3% on per capita basis), reaching
19836-489: The left-wing of the socialists (led by Carlos Altamirano ) and several other far-left parties called for violent insurrection. Some argue, however, that this was reversed at the end of his period in office. Allende won the 1970 Chilean presidential election as leader of the Unidad Popular ("Popular Unity") coalition. On 4 September 1970, he obtained a narrow plurality of 36.6% to 35.z3% over Jorge Alessandri ,
20007-444: The loan after Congress had refused to approve funds for the beleaguered program in November 2007 – made use of an emergency clause in the Constitution that grants funds equivalent to 2% of the fiscal budget. In November 2008, she invoked the emergency clause again after Congress denied once again funds for the system for 2009. On 27 February 2010, during the last week of summer vacations and less than two weeks before Bachelet's term
20178-663: The medals of the Legion of Merit and remained intact until the coup d'état of 1973, when it disappeared during the bombing of the La Moneda palace. During the military regime of Augusto Pinochet a replica of the pioche was created, based on photographs of the original. It is only used together with the presidential sash. The president of Chile traditionally used an elegant horse drawn "Bandeja" Carriage imported from France by President José Manuel Balmaceda for ceremonial events until president Salvador Allende , not wanting to project
20349-409: The military pension system and continued with the modernization process of the Chilean armed forces, including purchasing of new military equipment and participating in international peace operations. One key moment that has been cited as a factor in Bachelet's chances to the presidency occurred in mid-2002, during a flood in northern Santiago. As Defense Minister, she led a rescue operation while wearing
20520-414: The military's plans to overthrow Allende's democratically elected government in the days before the coup d'état. As troops surrounded La Moneda Palace , Allende gave his last speech vowing not to resign. Later that day, Allende died by suicide in his office ; the exact circumstances of his death are still disputed. Following Allende's death, General Augusto Pinochet refused to return authority to
20691-456: The new nationalized enterprises or on public-work projects. In November 1970, 3,000 scholarships were allocated to Mapuche children in an effort to integrate the indigenous minority into the educational system. Furthermore, Allende's administration resumed payment of pensions and grants, launched an emergency plan providing for the construction of 120,000 residential buildings, granted rights to social security for all part-time workers, withdrew
20862-552: The outgoing UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein warmly welcomed the UN General Assembly 's appointment of Michelle Bachelet to succeed him. He said that "She has all the attributes – courage, perseverance, passion, and a deep commitment to human rights". In August 2008, Bachelet signed a freedom of information bill into law, which became effective in April 2009. In January 2010, Bachelet enacted
21033-420: The political spectrum. Declassified documents show that from 1962 through 1964, the CIA spent a total of $ 2.6 million to finance the campaign of Eduardo Frei and $ 3 million in anti-Allende propaganda "to scare voters away from Allende's FRAP coalition". The CIA considered its role in the victory of Frei a great success. They argued that "the financial and organizational assistance given to Frei,
21204-412: The poor. Improved sanitation and housing facilities for low-income neighborhoods also equalized health-care benefits, while hospital councils and local health councils were established in neighborhood health-centers as a means of democratizing the administration of health policies. The councils gave central-government civil-servants, local-government officials, health-service employees, and community workers
21375-446: The possibility of immediate reelection for one more term. In 1833, the presidential period was changed to five years, with a possibility of immediate reelection for one more term, limited to two consecutive terms. Then by a constitutional reform in 1878, possibility for reelection became disallowed. Under the 1925 constitution, the president served for a six-year term, without the possibility of immediate reelection. Non-consecutive election
21546-432: The presidency, Allende began to carry out his platform of implementing a socialist program called La vía chilena al socialismo ("the Chilean path to socialism"). That included nationalization of large-scale industries (notably copper mining and banking) and government administration of the healthcare system, educational system (with the help of a United States educator, Jane A. Hobson-Gonzalez from Kokomo, Indiana ),
21717-449: The presidency. Initially hesitant to accept the nomination, as it was never a goal of hers, she eventually agreed as she felt she could not let her supporters down. On 1 October of that year, she stepped down from her government position to fully focus on her campaign and to support the CPD in the municipal elections held later that month. On 28 January 2005 she was officially named the Socialist Party's presidential candidate. An open primary
21888-441: The public sector engaged in a huge housing program, starting to build 76,000 houses in 1971, compared to 24,000 for 1970. During a 1971 emergency program, over 89,000 houses were built, and during Allende's three years as president an average of 52,000 houses were constructed annually. Although the acceleration of inflation in 1972 and 1973 eroded part of the initial increase in wages, they still rose (on average) in real terms during
22059-445: The purchase of a private publishing house by the state gave rise to Editorial Quimantu , which became the center of the Allende Government's cultural activities. In the space of two years, 12 million copies of books, magazines, and documents (8 million of which were books) specializing in social analysis, were published. Cheap editions of great literary works were produced on a weekly basis, and in most cases were sold out within
22230-494: The representative of the students of the School of Medicine. During his time at medical school, Allende was influenced by Professor Max Westenhofer , a German pathologist who emphasized the social determinants of disease and social medicine . In 1931, he was expelled from the university and relegated to the north. That same year, he retook his sixth year of medical school and graduated at age 23. In 1932, he began practicing as
22401-488: The requirements for becoming a Senator . In addition, the president must have the right to vote as a fully Chilean citizen , which includes being at least 18 years of age, not having been sentenced to a severe punishment, not having lost the right to vote due to insanity, not having been tried or condemned for a serious crime or terrorist conduct, nor condemned by the Constitutional Court under Article 8 of
22572-500: The restoration of democracy in Chile, although not on the front line. In 1995, she became a member of the party's Central Committee and, from 1998 to 2000, she was an active member of the Political Commission. In 1996, she ran against future presidential opponent Joaquín Lavín for the mayorship of Las Condes , a wealthy suburb of Santiago and a right-wing stronghold. Lavín won the 22-candidate election with nearly 78% of
22743-432: The right to review budgetary decisions. The Allende government sought to bring the arts to the mass of the Chilean population by funding a number of cultural endeavours. With eighteen-year-olds and illiterates now granted the right to vote, mass participation in decision-making was encouraged by the Allende government, with traditional hierarchical structures now challenged by socialist egalitarianism. The Allende Government
22914-495: The sacking of her Transport minister. On her decision not to abort the plan's start, she said in April 2007 she was given erroneous information which caused her to act against her "instincts." In September 2008, Chile's Constitutional Court declared a US$ 400 million loan by the Inter-American Development Bank to fund the transport system unconstitutional. Bachelet – who had been forced to ask for
23085-472: The same time, Chile granted asylum to thousands of political exiles from Latin American countries. Salvador Allende openly rejected the influence of the Organization of American States (OAS), a body close to the United States government, and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), which favored the interests of more developed countries. On the other hand, he was a fervent defender of
23256-410: The successful internationally backed 1989 constitutional referendum led to the peaceful Chilean transition to democracy . Allende was born on 26 June 1908 in Santiago . He was the son of Salvador Allende Castro and Laura Gossens Uribe. Allende's family belonged to the Chilean upper middle class and had a long tradition of political involvement in progressive and liberal causes. His grandfather
23427-399: The third Sunday of November of the year immediately before the end of the administration of the president then holding office. Should there be more than two candidates in the presidential election, none of them obtaining more than half of the votes validly cast, a new election shall be held. The second election ("balloting"), in the manner determined by law, shall be held the fourth Sunday after
23598-504: The top of her class. There she was class president, a member of the choir and volleyball teams, and part of a theater group and a band, "Las Clap Clap," which she co-founded and which toured around several school festivals. In 1970, after obtaining a relatively high score on the university admission test, she entered medical school at the University of Chile , where she was selected in the 113th position (out of 160 admitted applicants). She originally intended to study sociology or economics, but
23769-448: The universities, which became accessible to peasants and workers. The illiteracy rate was reduced from 12% in 1970 to 10.8% in 1972, while the growth in primary school enrollment increased from an annual average of 3.4% in the period 1966–70 to 6.5% in 1971–1972. Secondary education grew at a rate of 18.2% in 1971–1972, and the average school enrollment of children between the ages of 6 and 14 rose from 91% (1966–70) to 99%. Social spending
23940-494: The vote, while Bachelet finished fourth with 2.35%. On 11 March 2000, virtually unknown at the time, Bachelet was appointed Minister of Health by President Ricardo Lagos. She conducted an in-depth study of the public healthcare system which resulted in the creation of the AUGE plan a few years later. During her tenure, she was given the challenging task of eliminating the waiting lists in the overburdened public hospital system within
24111-441: The votes against 55.6% for Christian Democrat Eduardo Frei . As it became clear that the election would be a race between Allende and Frei, the political right – which initially had backed Radical Julio Durán– settled for Frei as "the lesser evil". Allende was considered part of the moderate wing of the socialists, with support from the communists who favored taking power via parliamentary democracy; in contrast,
24282-432: The workers in the first case and, in abnormal situations, if those parameters fell outside acceptable ranges by a very large degree, also the central government. The information would also be input into an economic simulation software ( CHECO , for CHilean ECOnomic simulator ) which featured a Bayesian filtering and control setting that the government could use to forecast the possible outcome of economic decisions. Finally,
24453-451: Was impeached by Congress for her handling of a scandal involving mismanagement of school subsidies. Her conviction was the first for a sitting minister in 36 years. During her first year in office Bachelet faced continuing problems from neighbors Argentina and Peru. In July 2006, she sent a letter of protest to Argentine president Néstor Kirchner after his government issued a decree increasing export tariffs on natural gas to Chile, which
24624-463: Was a Chilean socialist politician who served as the 28th president of Chile from 1970 until his death in 1973 . As a socialist committed to democracy, he has been described as the first Marxist to be elected president in a liberal democracy in Latin America. Allende's involvement in Chilean politics spanned a period of nearly forty years, during which he held various positions including senator , deputy , and cabinet minister . As
24795-445: Was a defender of the "constitutionalist" doctrine that the army's role is exclusively professional, its mission being to protect the country's sovereignty and not to interfere in politics. General Schneider's death was widely disapproved of and, for the time, ended military opposition to Allende, whom the Congress finally chose on 24 October. On 26 October, President Eduardo Frei named General Carlos Prats as commander in chief of
24966-476: Was a prominent physician and a social reformist who founded one of the first secular schools in Chile. Salvador Allende was of Basque and Belgian descent. In 1909, he moved with his family to the city of Tacna (then under Chilean administration ) until he returned to his country to live in Iquique in 1916. In 1918, he studied at the National Institute of Santiago, and from 1919 to 1921, he studied at
25137-440: Was able to draw upon the idealism of its supporters, with teams of "Allendistas" travelling into the countryside and shanty towns to perform volunteer work. The Allende government also worked to transform Chilean popular culture through formal changes to school curriculum and through broader cultural education initiatives, such as state-sponsored music festivals and tours of Chilean folklorists and nueva canción musicians. In 1971,
25308-556: Was able to go into exile in Australia, where her older brother, Alberto, had moved in 1969. Of her torture, Bachelet said, in 2004, that "it was nothing in comparison to what others suffered". She was "yelled at using abusive language, shaken", and both she and her mother were "threatened with the killing of the other". She was "never tortured with electricity ", but she did see it done to other prisoners. In May 1975, Bachelet left Australia and later relocated to East Germany, where she
25479-494: Was accorded legal recognition, and its membership grew from 700,000 to almost 1 million. In enterprises in the Area of Social Ownership, an assembly of the workers elected half of the members of the management council for each company. Those bodies replaced the former board of directors. Minimum pensions were increased by amounts equal to two or three times the inflation rate, and between 1970 and 1972, such pensions increased by
25650-475: Was aligned with the United States in 1970. Elsewhere in Latin America, Brazil , Argentina and Bolivia were ruled by conservative military dictatorships (soon to be joined by Uruguay ). Colombia and Venezuela also had conservative, but democratically elected, governments. Only Cuba , Peru and Mexico viewed the Chilean socialist experiment with sympathy. Under Allende's presidency, Chile joined
25821-488: Was also somewhat exacerbated due to a US-backed campaign to fund worker strikes in certain sectors of the economy. The Allende government announced it would default on debts owed to international creditors and foreign governments. Allende also froze all prices while raising salaries. His implementation of the policies was strongly opposed by landowners, employers, businessmen and transporters associations, and some civil servants and professional unions. The rightist opposition
25992-721: Was appointed as the first executive director of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women . Bachelet, a physician with studies in military strategy , also held positions as Health Minister and Defense Minister under President Ricardo Lagos . She is a separated mother of three and identifies as agnostic . In addition to her native Spanish , she is fluent in English and has proficiency in German , French , and Portuguese . Bachelet
26163-829: Was assigned an apartment in Am Stern , Potsdam by the German Democratic Republic (GDR). Her mother joined her a month later and lived separately in Leipzig . In October 1976, Bachelet began working at a communal clinic in the Babelsberg neighborhood as a stepping stone to furthering her medical studies at a university in East Germany. During this time, she met architect Jorge Leopoldo Dávalos Cartes, another Chilean exile, and they married in 1977. In January 1978, Bachelet went to Leipzig to study German at
26334-472: Was carried out, making the system tuition-free, which led to an 89% rise in university enrollments between 1970 and 1973. The Allende Government also increased enrollment in secondary education from 38% in 1970 to 51% in 1974. Enrollment in education reached record levels, including 3.6 million young people, and 8 million school textbooks were distributed among 2.6 million pupils in primary education. An unprecedented 130,000 students were enrolled by
26505-505: Was considered by Bachelet to be a violation of a tacit bilateral agreement. In early 2007, Peru accused Chile of unilaterally redefining their shared sea boundary in a section of a law passed by Congress that detailed the borders of the new administrative region of Arica and Parinacota . The impasse was resolved by the Chilean Constitutional Tribunal, which declared that section unconstitutional. In March 2007,
26676-514: Was disappointed that it received far less economic assistance from the Soviets than it hoped for. Trade between the two countries did not significantly increase and the credits were mainly linked to the purchase of Soviet equipment. Moreover, credits from the Soviet Union were much less than those provided to the People's Republic of China and countries of the Eastern Bloc . When Allende visited
26847-661: Was dramatically increased, particularly for housing, education, and health, and a major effort was made to redistribute wealth to poorer Chileans. As a result of new initiatives in nutrition and health, together with higher wages, many poorer Chileans were able to feed and clothe themselves better than ever before. Public access to the social security system was increased, and state benefits such as family allowances were raised significantly. The redistribution of income enabled wage and salary earners to increase their share of national income from 51.6% (the annual average between 1965 and 1970) to 65% while family consumption increased by 12.9% in
27018-632: Was emphasized. Under Allende, the proportion of children under the age of 6 with some form of malnutrition fell by 17%. Apart from the existing Supply and Prices councils (community-based bodies which controlled the distribution of essential groups in working-class districts, and were a popular, not government, initiative), community-based distribution centers and shops were developed, which sold directly in working-class neighborhoods. The Allende government felt obliged to increase its intervention in marketing activities, and state involvement in grocery distribution reached 33%. The CUT (central labor confederation)
27189-624: Was given to government, employees, and employers; and signed a protocol agreement with the United Center of Workers, granting workers representational rights on the funding board of the Social Planning Ministry. Allende established an obligatory minimum wage for workers of all ages (including apprentices), free milk for expectant and nursing mothers and for children between the ages of 7 and 14, and free meals at school. His administration also reduced rent and rescheduled
27360-512: Was headed by former budget director Mario Marcel. The commission issued its final report in July 2006, and in March 2008 Bachelet signed the bill into law. The new legislation established a Basic Solidarity Pension (PBS) and a Solidarity Pension Contribution (APS), guaranteeing a minimum pension for the 60% poorest segment of the population, regardless of their contribution history. The reform also grants
27531-653: Was in charge of the electoral campaign of the Popular Front headed by Pedro Aguirre Cerda . The Popular Front's slogan was "Bread, a Roof and Work!" After its electoral victory, he became Minister of Health in the Reformist Popular Front government which was dominated by the Radicals . While serving in that position, Allende was responsible for the passage of a wide range of progressive social reforms, including safety laws protecting workers in
27702-442: Was in government, exports fell 24% and imports rose 26%, with imports of food rising an estimated 149%. Export income fell due to a hard-hit copper industry; the price of copper on international markets fell by almost a third, and post-nationalization copper production fell as well. Copper is Chile's single most important export, as more than half of Chile's export receipts were from that sole commodity. The price of copper fell from
27873-619: Was led by the National Party , the Catholic Church (which in 1973 was displeased with the direction of educational policy), and eventually the Christian Democrats . There were growing tensions with foreign multinational corporations and the government of the United States. Allende undertook the pioneeristic Project Cybersyn , a distributed decision support system for decentralized economic planning , developed by British cybernetics expert Stafford Beer . Based on
28044-532: Was no longer a luxury, and the children of working people were adequately supplied with shoes and clothing. The popular living standards were improved in terms of the employment situation, social services, consumption levels, and income distribution." Chilean presidents were allowed a maximum term of six years, which may explain Allende's haste to restructure the economy. Not only was a major restructuring program organized (the Vuskovic plan ), he also had to make it
28215-420: Was possible, as seen with Jorge Alessandri (president 1958-1964) running a close second in the momentous election of 1970 , although ultimately it did not occur. In the original text of the 1980 constitution, the president served for an eight-year term without the possibility of immediate reelection. Some transitory disposals, fixed during the military dictatorship of the general Augusto Pinochet , allowed
28386-488: Was prevailed upon by her father to study medicine instead. She has said she opted for medicine because it was 'a concrete way of helping people cope with pain' and 'a way to contribute to improve health in Chile.' Facing growing food shortages, the government of Salvador Allende placed Bachelet's father in charge of the Food Distribution Office. When General Augusto Pinochet suddenly came to power via
28557-532: Was raised to a level equivalent to twice the minimum wage. Exemptions from capital taxes were also extended, which benefitted 330,000 small proprietors. The extra increases that Frei had promised to the armed forces were also fully paid. According to one estimate, purchasing power went up by 28% between October 1970 and July 1971. The rate of inflation fell from 36.1% in 1970 to 22.1% in 1971, while average real wages rose by 22.3% during 1971. Minimum real wages for blue-collar workers were increased by 56% during
28728-403: Was scheduled for July 2005 to determine the CPD's sole presidential candidate, but it was canceled after Bachelet's only rival, Christian Democrat Soledad Alvear , a cabinet member in the first three CPD administrations, withdrew early due to a lack of support within her own party and in opinion polls. In the December 2005 election, Bachelet ran against three candidates: Sebastián Piñera from
28899-451: Was set to expire, Chile was struck by an 8.8-magnitude earthquake that killed over 500 people and caused widespread damage, including the collapse of apartment buildings and bridges and tsunamis that destroyed fishing villages. Bachelet and the government faced criticism for their slow response to the disaster, which hit on a Saturday at 3:34 am and left most of the country without electricity, phone, and Internet access. Bachelet declared
29070-443: Was six years) allows for synchronized parliamentary and presidential elections. The president's official seat is the La Moneda Palace in the capital Santiago . Michelle Bachelet was the first female president of Chile and served from 2006 to 2010 and from 2014 to 2018. Since 2022, Gabriel Boric is the current president, having won the 2021 Chilean general election and taking office on 11 March 2022. The origins of Chile as
29241-475: Was to propose changes to the country's educational system and serve as a forum to share ideas and views. The committee issued its final report in December 2006. In August 2009, she signed the education reform bill into law, which created two new regulatory bodies: a Superintendency on Education and a Quality Agency. During her presidency Bachelet opened 18 new subway stations in Santiago, nine in 2006, one in 2009 and eight in 2010. In December 2009 Bachelet announced
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