El dia a votar in Chile
Hi! Doug here. Its another swelteringly hot day in Santiago. And its a special day in Chile. Election day. Chileans are very politically active. While there are a limited a number of political parties, there are a large number of activists, of all ages, who volunteer to promote the party on the streets and at rallies and events. We have seen amazing efforts in the last 10 days- people hand out flyers to cars at traffic lights in rush hour, canvass door to door, do karaoke on TV and radio in the name of their favourite for El Presidente and more…
I have been warned that i may get woken tomorrow morning (monday) as the result is announced, as many Chileans will start a party at their house or on the street when their man (or woman) wins. Any excuse for a fiesta! Apparently, they also have victory parades in cars on the streets, using their horns. I look forward to it… its great to see the country so passionate about politics.
The favourite to win is Michelle Bachelet, who may become the first female President. Bachelet, a 54-year-old former paediatrician, single mother of three, is the most admired politician in Chile, a lifelong member of the Chilean Socialist party. She is a close ally to the hugely popular President Ricardo Lagos. She is also respected highly for her age and experience. The guardian (UK) writes, “She was a 23-year-old medical student in Chile when a gang of military men broke into her house and kidnapped both her and her mother, Angela Jeria. It was January 1975, and the Chilean secret police officers were crushing protests and eliminating civilians on the orders of military dictator Augusto Pinochet. Michelle, a popular and politically active student, was one of thousands accused of being an “enemy” of the new regime.”
In 2002, she was made Minister for Defence, leading the same armed forces that killed her Father, brother and boyfriend under Pinochet. Quite a come back.
Today, Bachelet is champion for the poor, women and the youth of Chile. She is known for confident, non-confrontational politics. She holds a 25 point lead in the polls.