Outside the Beltway

Bachelet Sworn in

Steven L. Taylor
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Earlier this week, Michele Bachelet was sworn in to start her second (non-consecutive) term as president of Chile.  Her first term was 2006-2010.

Via the BBC:  Michelle Bachelet sworn in as Chile’s president

Ms Bachelet is the first Chilean president in over half a century to return for a second term.

[…]

Ms Bachelet won 62% of the vote in the second round of the presidential election in December, well ahead of the 38% cast for Evelyn Matthei.

She campaigned on a promise to spend $15bn (£9.2bn) on reforming education, improving health care and reducing income disparity.

She also wants to increase taxes to offer free university education and reform political and economic structures dating from the 1973-1990 dictatorship of Gen Pinochet.

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6 responses to “Bachelet Sworn in”

  1. al-Ameda Avatar
    al-Ameda

    She campaigned on a promise to spend $15bn (£9.2bn) on reforming education, improving health care and reducing income disparity.
    She also wants to increase taxes to offer free university education and reform political and economic structures dating from the 1973-1990 dictatorship of Gen Pinochet.

    In this country such views and positions would cause her to be cast as a communist usurper by the Republican Party.

  2. Surreal American Avatar
    Surreal American

    @al-Ameda:

    In this country such views and positions would cause her to be cast as a communist usurper by the Republican Party.

    No doubt pining for those days in Chile when communist usurpers were dealt with appropriately.

  3. Stormy Dragon Avatar
    Stormy Dragon

    @al-Ameda:

    In this country such views and positions would cause her to be cast as a communist usurper by the Republican Party.

    Uh… Bachlet actually was the Communist Party of Chile’s presidential nominee.

  4. al-Ameda Avatar
    al-Ameda

    @Stormy Dragon:

    Uh… Bachlet actually was the Communist Party of Chile’s presidential nominee.

    Chilean “communists” have a decidedly moderate set of policy preferences.

  5. Andre Kenji Avatar
    Andre Kenji

    I´m a Centrist, and I think that the Concertácion governments in Chile were too Conservative.

  6. Stormy Dragon Avatar
    Stormy Dragon

    @al-Ameda:

    Chilean “communists” have a decidedly moderate set of policy preferences.

    I’m reminded of the P. J. O’Rourke quip that the Swedish Social Democratic party was able to get socialism to work through the simple expedient of not actually having any.

    Nevertheless, my point wasn’t how extreme or not extreme Bachlet’s positions are. It’s that it’s not a good comparison to Republican paranoia about Obama when there are actual communists in her governing coalition.

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