Chile to swear in its first woman president today

WASHINGTON
South America’s most recent socialist President-elect, Chile’s Michelle Bachelet, will be inaugurated today in what has been described as the latest sign of a cultural revolution in Chile.

Inauguration guests were to include a number of Latin American leaders, including Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio “Lula” da Silva and Bolivian President Evo Morales, as well as US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

Brazilian Culture Minister and musician Gilberto Gil was to perform at a music festival concluding inauguration ceremonies tomorrow. Bachelet will officially take office on Monday.

Bachelet, the first woman to lead a South African country, was elected in January as the candidate for the centre-left Coalition of Parties, which consists of her Socialist party, the Christian Democratic Party and two smaller parties.

Her election marked a shift in Chilean politics and, more markedly, Chilean culture. Bachelet is a left-wing, twice divorced, agnostic, single mother and former exile, leading a traditionally conservative nation strongly influenced by the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church.

The Coalition of Parties has ruled the country since Chile’s return to democratic rule in 1990, following the ousting of Augusto Pinochet after a 17-year military dictatorship.

Bachelet has promised to maintain the progressive economic policies of outgoing President Ricardo Lagos, a fellow socialist who leaves office with a 70% approval rating. But she has been a vocal critic of the country’s cultural norms and the male-dominated political scene in particular.

In late January Bachelet announced a cabinet of five men and five women, keeping one of her pre-election campaign promises and offering to women the prestigious ministries of finance and defence. She herself was once the first ever female defence minister.

Although her politics are considered to the left of even her own coalition party, the new president is not expected to join forces with South America’s growing number of extreme socialist leaders, which include Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez and stalwart Fidel Castro of Cuba.

South American moderates are hoping Bachelet might be capable of drawing the newly elected Bolivia’s Evo Morales away from the more radical elements of South American politics.

Morales, who took office in January, is the nation’s first Indio president and voiced support for Venezuelan President Chavez’s battle against economic liberalism and imperialism, in a visit to the country in January.

Chavez has been accused by the US of attempting to create his own “axis of evil” with Castro and Morales, a claim he denies.

Bachelet was elected by 53.5% in a January 15 runoff against conservative millionaire businessman Sebastian Pinera, the closest result since the country’s return to democratic rule in 1990.

Gender proved an important factor in the campaign, with a majority of men voting for Pinero. But Bachelet’s former role as defence minister, as well as a later stint as health minister under Lagos, helped establish her leadership potential.
“She is a woman who lead the military,” said opinion researcher Raul Sohr before the election.