January 15 marked the election of Chile’s first woman President, 54 year-old Michelle Bachelet, on the ticket of a Christian Democrat-Left coalition, the Concertación. Bachelet is a socialist and a former Minister of Health and Minister of Defense in the center-left Lagos administration. During the regime of dictator Augusto Pinochet, Bachelet was imprisoned, tortured, and exiled. She is a pediatrician and a single mother of three. "I have not had an easy life," she told a cheering crowd after her victory. Bachelet is known as a supporter of the Free Trade Area of the Americas. Indymedia Santiago Chile voiced this critique of the election: "During the recent electoral struggle for control of the state, the Concertación, along with the right, only seemed to show their teeth, while the press, orchestrating the show, spoke of 'polarization' of the elections—what a fallacy! Everything could be found perfectly situated within the boundaries of the political marketplace."
Santiago Indymedia Article (In Spanish) | Election Day Coverage | Democracy Now on Election | World Socialist Website Report