Related: Chile For Dessert
It's breakfast this morning, just the thing to warm me up.
"Ex-president regains office in Chile" Associated Press, December 16, 2013
SANTIAGO, Chile — Chile’s once and future President Michelle Bachelet won Sunday’s runoff election after promising profound changes in society in response to years of street protests.
$eems like the $ame old $ong and dance to me, $orry.
With 90 percent of the votes counted, Bachelet had 62 percent of the votes, to 38 percent for the center-right’s Evelyn Matthei, who conceded defeat.
A moderate socialist, Bachelet served as president in 2006-2010, then ran the United Nation’s women’s agency from New York as her successor, conservative Sebastian Pinera, was confronted with widespread demonstrations for change.
She has a new center-left coalition and promises to finance education with higher corporate taxes, reduce the wealth gap, protect the environment, and reform the constitution.
Lofty talk and goals but….
Bachelet, 62, left office with 84 percent approval ratings despite failing to achieve any major changes.
We are all nostalgic for days gone by because the wealth gap keeps growing.
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"Chile’s president-elect vows profound change coming; Aims to reduce income gap, boost education" by Luis Andres Henao | Associated Press, December 17, 2013
SANTIAGO, Chile — Analysts noted that the 41 percent voter turnout was the lowest since Chile’s return to democracy, suggesting that President-elect Michelle Bachelet will need to move deliberately, not radically….
Brakes already being applied to Bachelet.
Bachelet said,‘‘It won’t be easy, but when has it been easy to change the world?’’
Okay, lady, you got me there. Watch out for your safety, please.
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The moderate socialist ended her 2006-2010 presidency with an 84 percent approval rating, despite failing to achieve any major changes. This time, many vow to take over the streets again if politicians don’t follow through.
Chile is the world’s top exporter of copper, and its fast-growing economy and low unemployment and inflation rates are the envy of Latin America. But millions of Chileans who have protested in recent years say more of the copper wealth should be used to reduce income inequality and fix public schools.
It is the $ame phenomena everywhere because the greed-heads have been in control everywhere. Btw, in the 21st-century the proper spelling is $ocialist. Ask the Greeks and French.
Matthei’s 37 percent was the center-right’s worst performance in two decades, and yet Jovino Novoa, vice president of the right-wing Democratic Independent Union, said Monday that Bachelet ‘‘doesn’t have the representation nor the mandate for extreme positions.’’
The bu$ine$$ wing (and U.S. choice) of Chilean politics got a flat-out rejection!
The center-right Renovation National’s president, Carlos Larrain, was more accepting, saying that ‘‘Michelle Bachelet is the president of Chile, and she’s been elected with a very solid majority.’’
Translation: we couldn't rig the vote because the disparity was too wide.
Bachelet’s center-left New Majority coalition, which now includes Communist Party members, enjoys a majority in both houses that will be key to achieving some of her tax and education goals. But changing the Pinochet-era electoral system and constitution requires super-majorities.
Uh-oh! Communists making a comeback in Chile?
‘‘She’ll achieve some things: The tax reform is in her pocket. . . . I think student leaders who have been elected to Congress will sign off on educational reform. Bachelet’s expectations are high, but things will be achieved,’’ said Kenneth Bunker, a Chilean political scientist.
Patricio Navia, a Chilean political scientist at New York University, sees a tough road for Bachelet, who ran the United Nations’ women’s agency after leaving the presidency.
‘‘Her biggest challenge will be to match expectations with reality,’’ Navia said. ‘‘She campaigned that the country was going to continue growing at 6 percent a year, and it’s barely going to grow at 3 percent a year. The expectations are much higher than what she’ll be able to deliver.’’
This was Chile’s first presidential election since voter registration became automatic, increasing the electorate to 13.5 million from 8 million of the country’s nearly 17 million people. But voting became optional, and only 5.5 million voted in the runoff — 41 percent.
‘‘It’s the most decisive victory in eight decades, but the most important thing is that Bachelet got fewer votes than her four predecessors, including herself in 2006,’’ Navia said.
‘‘There isn’t really a big confidence vote for the reforms some people want to implement.’’
Translation: don't expect any changes, Chileans.
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Nothing changing there, either.
If I see any other Chile items on my look back on recent Boston Globes I will update.
