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Sunday, January 15, 2006

Chile gets first woman president


Yippeee! Michelle Bachelet is the new President of Chile (story)! She is a single mom of 3, medical doctor and experienced politician. Her father was imprisoned and tortured by the Pinochet regime by Allende (and died of a heart attack during that period). Michelle herself was imprisoned as a young doctor. She lived in exile for a while also.

Today she is the first woman President in the Americas (including up here and the US) - and Pinochet is under house arrest. She's also a social democrat, who leans to the left and wants to reduce the disparity between rich and poor.

Let's admit it bloggers! There is good news sometime...

How's this for a quote from a new Presidente:

"I'm agnostic...I believe in the state," Bachelet told several evangelical ministers last week. "I believe the state has an important role in guaranteeing the diversity of men and women in Chile - their different spiritualities, philosophies and ways of life."

Link
Comments:
It will be interesting to see how she fares in such a sexist culture.
 
Chile, Liberia...what's next?!
 
Not Canada apparently - all boys on the ticket this election, although the NDP has more than a third female candidates across the country (more than usual sadly).
 
I have a penpal in Santiago, and she said they were all sort of torn, because the opponent is more, shall we say, "educated"? But she voted for Michelle. I am just really happy that an agnostic managed to become a presient somewhere. I'm so sick of religious fanatics trying to take over the world.

Baby steps, I guess...
 
I'm with you on that Helen - religion is fine in its place, which isn't in politics or government and isn't in the faces of those who aren't interested.
 

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