President of Chile Michelle Bachelet: biography, features of activity and interesting facts

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:55

Michelle Bachelet is the President of Chile. At the same time, she is the first woman in the country to be elected to this post. Michel is a registered physician, epidemiologist and surgeon. Previously studied military strategy.

Family

Bachelet Michelle was born on September 29, 1951 in Chile, in Santiago. She was the youngest in the family. Her father, Alberto, was an Air Force general. Michelle's mother, Angela Geria, worked as an anthropologist archaeologist. In 1962, Alberto Bachelet received the post of military attache at the Chilean US Embassy. The family temporarily moved to Maryland.

Youth

Father Michel after a while headed the People's Food Committee, but after the military coup was accused of treason, arrested and sent to prison, where he died in 1974 of a heart attack. Michelle and her mother were also imprisoned, where they spent almost a year. Thanks to their father's older brother, they were released.

Education

After moving to the US, Michelle studied at an American school for two years. Then her family returned home. Michelle continued her studies at the Moscow Women's Lyceum No. 1. She was considered one of the best students. She was the head girl in the class, sang in the choir, played in the volleyball team, attended the musical and theatermugs.

After the Lyceum, Michelle Bachelet was going to study sociology. But the mother insisted on the profession of a doctor. As a result, in 1970, Michelle entered the university at the Faculty of Medicine. In the exams, her result was the best in the country.

After her release from prison, Michelle first went to live in Australia, then - in the GDR. There she studied German and went to study at the Humboldt University of Berlin. Michelle returned to Chile only in 1979. Already at home she defended her diploma as a surgeon, and later as a pediatrician and epidemiologist.

Work activity

After Michelle returned to Chile and received her diplomas, she worked in a children's hospital. Also, the heroine of our article was employed in private organizations that helped families affected by the Pinochet regime. After the restoration of democracy in Chile in 1990, Michelle worked as a consultant for the World He alth Organization.

Political career

From 1994 to 1997 she first replaced, and then (in 2000) was appointed Minister of He alth of Chile. Bachelet Michelle became the first woman to receive the position of Minister of Defense of the country in 2002. In 2004, she ran for president. During the election campaign, emphasis was placed on social problems, a program of reforms in the field of he althcare and education was put forward, and the issue of increasing social benefits and pensions was raised.

Presidency

In the first presidential election, Michelle scored 45.95% in the first roundvotes, in the second - 53, 5%, and was elected head of Chile. And in the country for the first time in such a post was a woman. The inauguration took place on March 11, 2006. Michelle promised to change the country's economy and reduce the huge gap between poverty and we alth, which is the largest in the country in comparison with other states.

According to the Chilean constitution, the president cannot be re-elected. Therefore, in 2010, the country was headed by Sebastian Piñera, a conservative billionaire. Until 2013, Michelle Bachelet served as head of UN Women. And in December of the same year, she was again elected president of Chile. And bypassed her rival, E. Mattei, gaining 62.2% of the vote. Bachelet promised during the election race tax reforms, affordable he althcare, free education, support for same-sex marriage. The second presidential term expires only in 2018

Teenage rebellion

After Bachelet was elected to the post of head of the country, she faced a serious problem. On April 27, almost 3,000 students from different schools rebelled. They blocked the entire center in Santiago and demanded free travel and university entrance exams. The students were against the nine-hour school hours introduced in recent years.

The police had to disperse the rioters by force. 47 teenagers were arrested. In May, Michelle Bachelet spoke at a meeting of parliamentarians. The pension reform was declared a priority. With regard to education, she noted that it is necessary to strive for the acquisition of knowledge by schoolchildrenfor free. First of all, we need to help low-income families by providing them with material and social support.

Some opposition parties supported the students' demands. And on May 31, with the same demands, already 600,000 schoolchildren rioted. The teenagers were on their way to the Ministry of Education, but were again stopped by the police. Then the students built barricades and started throwing stones at the police. They had to use gas and water cannons.

After the second riot, Bachelet announced that it was necessary to start negotiations with the protesters. She promised to increase funding for educational institutions and allocate $ 135 million from the state treasury for this. As a result, the riots were stopped.

Relations with Russia

President Michelle Bachelet came to the Russian Federation while still being Minister of Defense. Negotiations were held with Sergei Ivanov. Bachelet gave a lecture at MGIMO, in which she spoke about her vision of military and civil relations. In 2004, he and Vladimir Putin signed Russian-Chilean agreements on cooperation in trade, space exploration and military-technical cooperation.

In 2009, Michelle came to Russia again. At the time, Vladimir Putin was prime minister. During Bachelet's stay in the Russian Federation, additional agreements on a visa-free regime were reached between the countries. The parties signed the agreement in New York, at the UN General Assembly.

Community activities

In 2010, Bachelet served as Executive Director of UN Women and UN Under Secretary. Thanks to Michelle in 2013participating countries have developed a document protecting the fair sex from violence. The declaration was signed by all the states that are members of the UN. According to the document, no tradition or custom justifies violence against women.

The declaration simultaneously recognized gender equality, the introduction of sex education in school education. A system of emergency assistance to victims of violent acts was created and the punishment for murder on the basis of prejudice was increased. Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary General, fully agreed that thanks to this document, women around the world will receive effective protection.

Private life

Chilean President Michelle Bachelet is divorced. She has three adult children: two sons and a daughter. Religiously, he considers himself an agnostic.

Awards

Michelle Bachelet was awarded in 2007 the Italian Grand Cross, the Venezuelan Order of the Liberator and the Mexican Chain of the Order of the Aztec Eagle.