The President of Chile - Michelle Bachelet - went down in history as the first woman to hold this high post in her country. Being a fragile representative of the weaker sex, she so successfully embarked on a new position that 4 years after the end of her term, she again became the head of state. What did this woman have to go through on her way to power? What were the years of her reign of one of the countries of Latin America? Read about all this in the article.
Michelle Bachelet: childhood and adolescence
The future president of Chile was born on September 29, 1951. The girl's parents were: Alberto Bachelet - a soldier, Geria Angela - an archaeologist. Father Michel, after his appointment as military attaché at the Chilean Embassy in the United States, in connection with the new position, moved his family there. So, for about 2 years the girl studied at one of the American schools. Returning to her homeland, Michelle entered the women's lyceum. She graduated from this institution with honors. Apart fromsuccess in her studies, she was noted as an active participant in the social life of the Lyceum.
Michelle had a special, warm relationship with her father. As a military man, Alberto Bachelet gave his daughter a Colt and taught him how to use it. It was he who insisted that the girl continue her studies at one of the universities of Chile at the Faculty of Medicine. Michelle took an active part in the public life of the university. The university, like the lyceum, she also graduated with honors. It seemed that only happy years lay ahead of her. However, what was happening in the country changed the course of events for Michelle.
Coup
The Bachelet family during the reign of the then President, Salvador Allende, thanks to their father, was at the pinnacle of power. Alberto Bachelet served as General of Aviation. He supported the socialist president in everything. However, in 1973 there was a coup in the country. Augusto Pinochet seized power. The current president of Chile, Salvador Allende, was overthrown, and the head of the Bachelet family was exiled to prison for his support.
Albert Bachelet was accused of treason. Soon he died in prison from a heart attack. The death of her beloved father contributed to the fact that Michel became a member of the youth socialist party. Together with their mother, they organized a resistance movement and were engaged in underground activities. Illegal actions could not go unnoticed by the head of government. By order of Pinochet, the obstinate girl was arrested and imprisoned for a year in the most important Chilean prison: Villa Grimaldi.
Liberation
The Australian government intervened. Thanks to this, Michelle was released in 1975. With the support of Erich Honecker, the leader of the country, she was able to move to the GDR. In this power, the future president of Chile learned German. She successfully practiced medicine.
The years spent in the GDR brought Michelle and changes in her personal life. She married Jorge Davalos and became a mother.
First steps in the political arena
It's 1982. It was marked by the fact that the woman became a certified surgeon. Augusto Pinochet was still in power. Therefore, for "political reasons" Bechelet did not have the right to work in public hospitals. She directed all her activities to helping people who suffered from the dictatorship of the incumbent president. In 1987, the situation in the country began to change. The Chilean government was forced to be more loyal to the opposing regime. Repression gradually began to stop. And in 1990, when Patricio Azocara became president, Michelle began working for the state.
The woman began her career as a consultant to the World He alth Organization. She quickly rose through the ranks. Soon she took the position of adviser to the deputy minister of he alth himself. Despite the fact that divorce was prohibited in Chile until 2004, Michelle broke off relations with her husband. And combined by marriage with Hannibal Henriquez. From the union of thesetwo people a girl was born - Sophia. After her birth, Bachelet again plunged headlong into party activities. The post of President of the country at that time was held by Eduardo Frei Ruiz Tagle, who, like the previous leader, was a supporter of the Christian Democratic Party.
Michelle Bachelet in 1996 was elected chairman of the Socialist Party. She ran for mayor of one of the Chilean cities. However, the woman lost her first election.
Government work
Defeated, Michelle went to the United States, where she became a student at a military college. Returning home, she immediately began working in the government. Ricardo Lagose, the new president and member of the Socialist Party, appointed her Minister of He alth. This was the first time in Chile that a woman had taken such a high position.
In 2002, Michelle made herself known throughout Latin America. After all, she was appointed Minister of Defense, thus becoming the first woman in this position. In this position, she made every effort to ensure that the fairer sex had the right to serve in the army.
Michelle received national love after Chile was hit by serious problems in the form of floods. This woman commanded the troops that were sent to eliminate the consequences of the elements, moving on a tank. A 2004 Chilean poll found Michelle Bachelet to be the most beloved and most revered minister in the country's history. The President of Chile is the next targetwomen.
As president
Already 2006 brought her the desired position of president. Thus, she became the first among the women of her country and the fifth among the ladies in Latin America, holding such a high position.
The beginning of the reign was overshadowed by student demonstrations. They demanded free university education from the government. Schoolchildren, in turn, began to advocate the abolition of classes that lasted 9 hours at schools.
The demonstrators were dispersed. But the new president immediately gathered the deputies of parliament to announce the reform of the educational system. She promised to provide financial support from the government to poor students. Thus, thanks to her support, funds began to be allocated for the financing of educational institutions. As president, Bachelet paid great attention to the social sphere. It was she who carried out the pension reform.
Presidential break
The Constitution of Chile states that no one in this country can hold the presidency for 2 terms in a row. Therefore, in the early spring of 2010, Sebastian Piñer began to rule the country. Michelle decided to dedicate this time to gender politics. In 2010, she took up the position of Executive Director of a society called UN Women. Only thanks to her efforts, all countries that are members of the United Nations supported the declaration on the protection of the weaker sex from violence. This meant that no religious principles or traditions could ever justify this crime.
Bacheletbecomes president again
In 2014, Michelle Bachelet (photo in the article) was nominated for a new presidential election by a coalition called the New Majority. It also included the Socialist Party. It is worth noting that one of the rivals of these hauls was Michelle's childhood friend, Evelyn Mattei. However, Bachelet already had a lot of experience. In addition, she promised that if she was elected, the country would face new changes. Therefore, it is not surprising that in the second round of the electoral process, she received 62% of the vote. Michelle Bachelet is the current president of Chile. Her priority is to fight inequality.
Chile on the world map, figuratively speaking, is at the end of the world. This country, overcoming obstacles in the form of a military-dictatorial regime, has come a long way to "breathe freely." Michelle Bachelet was able to give residents the belief that each of them can play a worthy role in the life of the state. Most importantly, she was able to prove that a soft, humane style of government can overcome many obstacles.
