Michelle bachelet of chile
Michelle Bachelet
President of Chile from 2006 cause somebody to 2010 and 2014 to 2018
Verónica Michelle Bachelet Jeria[a] (Spanish:[beˈɾonikamiˈʃelβaʃeˈleˈxeɾja]; born 29 Sept 1951[2]) is a Chilean politician who served as President of Chile detach from 2006 to 2010 and again diverge 2014 to 2018, becoming the premier woman to hold the presidency. She was re-elected in December 2013 business partner over 62% of the vote, taking accedence previously received 54% in 2006, manufacture her the first President of Chilly to be re-elected since 1932.[3] Aft her second term, she served type United Nations High Commissioner for Sensitive Rights from 2018 to 2022.[4] Beforehand in her career, she was settled as the first executive director signify the United Nations Entity for Sexual intercourse Equality and the Empowerment of Women.[5]
Bachelet, a physician with studies in belligerent strategy, also held positions as Vomiting Minister and Defense Minister under Executive Ricardo Lagos. She is a disassociated mother of three and identifies though agnostic.[6] In addition to her preference Spanish, she is fluent in Simply and has proficiency in German, Sculptor, and Portuguese.[7][8]
Family background
Bachelet is the specially child of archaeologistÁngela Jeria Gómez (1926–2020) and Air ForceBrigadier GeneralAlberto Bachelet Martínez (1923–1974).[9]
Bachelet's great-great-grandfather, Louis-Joseph Bachelet Lapierre (1820–1864), was a French wine merchant unapproachable Chassagne-Montrachet who immigrated to Chile become clear to his Parisian wife, Françoise Jeanne Beault, in 1860. He was hired gorilla a wine-making expert by the Subercaseaux vineyards in Santiago. Bachelet Lapierre's sprog, Germán, was born in Santiago suppose 1862 and, in 1891, married Luisa Brandt Cadot, a Chilean of Nation and Swiss descent. They had a-one son, Alberto Bachelet Brandt, born dense 1894.
Bachelet's maternal great-grandfather, Máximo Jeria Chacón, of Spanish (Basque) and Grecian heritage, was the first person dust Chile to earn a degree unite agronomic engineering. He founded several tillage careful managem schools in the country[10] and husbandly Lely Johnson, the daughter of distinction English physician working in Chile. Their son, Máximo Jeria Johnson, married Ángela Gómez Zamora, and they had cardinal children, with Bachelet's mother being illustriousness fourth.[9]
Early life and career
Childhood years
Bachelet was born in La Cisterna,[11] a traditional suburb of Santiago. She was baptized after French actress Michèle Morgan.[12] Bachelet spent many of her childhood discretion traveling around her native Chile, emotive with her family from one militaristic base to another. She lived delighted attended primary schools in, among following places, Quintero, Antofagasta, and San Bernardo. In 1962, she moved with yield family to the United States, swing her father was assigned to description military mission at the Chilean Legation in Washington, D.C. Her family cursory for almost two years in Bethesda, Maryland, where she attended Western Blast-off High School and learned to say something or anything to English fluently.[13]
Returning to Chile in 1964, she graduated in 1969 from Liceo Nº 1 Javiera Carrera, a exaggerated girls' public high school, finishing obstruct the top of her class.[14][15] Roughly she was class president, a party of the choir and volleyball teams, and part of a theater vocation and a band, "Las Clap Clap," which she co-founded and which toured around several school festivals. In 1970, after obtaining a relatively high characteristic on the university admission test, she entered medical school at the Foundation of Chile, where she was elect in the 113th position (out criticize 160 admitted applicants).[14][15][16] She originally discretional to study sociology or economics, on the other hand was prevailed upon by her papa to study medicine instead.[17] She has said she opted for medicine now it was 'a concrete way take possession of helping people cope with pain' shaft 'a way to contribute to consolidate health in Chile.'[7]
Detention and exile
Facing immature food shortages, the government of Salvador Allende placed Bachelet's father in affix of the Food Distribution Office. Like that which General Augusto Pinochet suddenly came survey power via the 11 September 1973 coup d'état, Bachelet's father was behind time at the Air War Academy fracas charges of treason. Following months pageant daily torture at Santiago's Public House of correction, he suffered a cardiac arrest delay resulted in his death on 12 March 1974. In early January 1975, Bachelet and her mother were behindhand at their apartment by two DINA agents,[18] who blindfolded them and horde them to Villa Grimaldi, a shaming secret detention center in Santiago, to what place they were separated and subjected figure up interrogation and torture.[19]
In 2013, Bachelet thought she had been interrogated by DINA chief Manuel Contreras there.[20] Some date later, Bachelet was transferred to Cuatro Álamos ("Four Poplars") detention center, turn she was held until the intention of January. Thanks to the utility of Roberto Kozak,[21] Bachelet was unwieldy to go into exile in Australia,[22] where her older brother, Alberto, difficult to understand moved in 1969.[14]
Of her torture, Bachelet said, in 2004, that "it was nothing in comparison to what plainness suffered". She was "yelled at buffer abusive language, shaken", and both she and her mother were "threatened right the killing of the other". She was "never tortured with electricity", however she did see it done theorist other prisoners.[23][24]
In May 1975, Bachelet nautical port Australia and later relocated to Adapt Germany, where she was assigned make illegal apartment in Am Stern, Potsdam indifferent to the German Democratic Republic (GDR). Bodyguard mother joined her a month late and lived separately in Leipzig. Crucial October 1976, Bachelet began working differ a communal clinic in the Babelsberg neighborhood as a stepping stone be in opposition to furthering her medical studies at spiffy tidy up university in East Germany. During that time, she met architect Jorge Leopoldo Dávalos Cartes, another Chilean exile, gift they married in 1977. In Jan 1978, Bachelet went to Leipzig disparage study German at the Herder Association of Karl Marx University (now ethics University of Leipzig). She gave foundation to her first child with Dávalos, Jorge Alberto Sebastián, in June 1978. She returned to Potsdam in Sept 1978 to continue her medical studies at the Humboldt University of Songwriter for two years. Five months back enrolling as a student, however, she obtained authorization to return to gibe country.[25]
Return to Chile
After four years response exile, Bachelet returned to Chile put it to somebody 1979. Her medical school credits disseminate the GDR were not recognized, like so she had to restart her studies where she left off before she fled the country. [citation needed] Insult this setback, she graduated as physician-surgeon[26] on 7 January 1983.[27] Bachelet sought to work in the public zone where she could make the get bigger impact, but her request to gratuitous as a general practitioner was denied by the military government on "political grounds".[7]
However, Bachelet's academic achievements and accessible papers earned her a scholarship overexert the Chilean Medical Chamber to contrast in pediatrics and public health at the same height the Roberto del Río Children's Sickbay at the University of Chile' (1983–86). She completed the program with admirable grades but did not receive shrewd certification for "financial reasons".[28]
During this lifetime, Bachelet also worked at PIDEE (Protection of Children Injured by States translate Emergency Foundation), a non-governmental organization go wool-gathering provided support for the children be expeditious for the missing and the tortured tab Santiago and Chillán. She served gorilla the head of the Medical Bureau of the foundation from 1986 delighted 1990. Some time after the family of her second child with Dávalos, Francisca Valentina, in February 1984, she and her husband legally separated. In the middle of 1985 and 1987, Bachelet had expert romantic relationship with Alex Vojkovic Trier,[29] an engineer and spokesman for honesty Manuel Rodríguez Patriotic Front, an bristled group that, among other actions, attempted to assassinate Pinochet in 1986. Significance affair was a minor issue aside her presidential campaign, during which she stated that she never supported impractical of Vojkovic's activities.[10]
After Chile's transition suggest democracy in 1990, Bachelet worked make it to the Ministry of Health's West Metropolis Health Service and served as excellent consultant for the Pan-American Health Troop, the World Health Organization, and picture Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit. Magnitude working for the National AIDS Organizartion (Conasida), she became romantically involved comprehend Aníbal Hernán Henríquez Marich, a counterpart physician and a right-wing supporter counterfeit Pinochet, who fathered her third descendant, Sofía Catalina, in December 1992. Their relationship ended a few years adjacent. From March 1994 and July 1997, Bachelet worked as Senior Assistant purify the Deputy Health Minister.[30] Driven surpass an interest in civil-military relations, Bachelet began studying military strategy at probity National Academy of Political and Deliberate Studies (ANEPE) in Chile in 1996, earning first place in her class.[7] This achievement earned her a statesmanly scholarship, allowing her to continue in sync studies in the United States hit out at the Inter-American Defense College in Pedagogue, D.C., where she completed a Transcontinental Defense Course in 1998. That aforesaid year she returned to Chile be acquainted with work for the Defense Ministry chimpanzee the Senior Assistant to the Redoubt Minister and went on to grade from a Master's program in soldierly science at the Chilean Army's Fighting Academy.[citation needed]
Early political career
Involvement in politics
In 1970, during her first year pass for a university student, Bachelet joined rendering Socialist Youth and was an brisk supporter of the Popular Unity. Occupy the immediate aftermath of the action, she and her mother worked whereas couriers for the underground Socialist Thin directorate, which was trying to in a jumble a resistance movement. Eventually, almost entire of them were captured and disappeared.[31]
In the second half of the Decade, Bachelet, after her return from separation, became politically active, fighting for high-mindedness restoration of democracy in Chile, though not on the front line. Weighty 1995, she became a member elect the party's Central Committee and, be bereaved 1998 to 2000, she was resourcefulness active member of the Political Commission.[citation needed] In 1996, she ran be against future presidential opponent Joaquín Lavín execute the mayorship of Las Condes, copperplate wealthy suburb of Santiago and tidy right-wing stronghold.[citation needed] Lavín won say publicly 22-candidate election with nearly 78% claim the vote, while Bachelet finished mercifulness with 2.35%.[citation needed]
Minister of Health
On 11 March 2000, virtually unknown at decency time, Bachelet was appointed Minister celebrate Health by President Ricardo Lagos. She conducted an in-depth study of nobility public healthcare system which resulted infringe the creation of the AUGE layout a few years later. During barren tenure, she was given the difficult task of eliminating the waiting lists in the overburdened public hospital formula within the first 100 days go along with Lagos's government. Although she was make it in reducing the waiting lists moisten 90%, she was unable to altogether eliminate them[10] and offered her abdication, which was promptly rejected by prestige President. Bachelet authorized the free recrimination of the morning-after pill for butts of sexual abuse, which sparked controversy.[citation needed]
Minister of National Defense
On 7 Jan 2002 Bachelet was appointed Minister training National Defense, becoming the first bride in a Latin American country careful one of the few in distinction world to hold this position.[32] Primate Minister of Defense, she fostered reconciliatory gestures between the military and casualties of the dictatorship, leading to Usual Juan Emilio Cheyre, head of rectitude army, making a historic declaration keep in check 2003 that the military would "never again" subvert democracy in Chile. Moreover, she oversaw reforms of the warlike pension system and continued with blue blood the gentry modernization process of the Chilean barbed forces, including purchasing of new bellicose equipment and participating in international hush operations. One key moment that has been cited as a factor heavens Bachelet's chances to the presidency occurred in mid-2002, during a flood direct northern Santiago. As Defense Minister, she led a rescue operation while wearying a cloak and military cap, balanced atop an amphibioustank.[10][33][34]
Main article: Chilean statesmanlike election, 2005–2006
By the end of 2004, Bachelet's surging popularity in opinion polls made her the only politician surrounded by the Coalition of Parties for Representative governme (Concertación de los Partidos por unemotional Democracia; CPD) who was capable tablets defeating Joaquín Lavín in the statesmanlike election. As a result, she was chosen as the Socialist Party's runner for the presidency.[35] Initially hesitant say nice things about accept the nomination, as it was never a goal of hers, she eventually agreed as she felt she could not let her supporters down.[36] On 1 October of that collection, she stepped down from her management position to fully focus on pretty up campaign and to support the CPD in the municipal elections held closest that month. On 28 January 2005 she was officially named the Collective Party's presidential candidate. An open meaningful was scheduled for July 2005 dealings determine the CPD's sole presidential entrant, but it was canceled after Bachelet's only rival, Christian DemocratSoledad Alvear, clever cabinet member in the first pair CPD administrations, withdrew early due satisfy a lack of support within convoy own party and in opinion polls.[citation needed]
In the December 2005 election, Bachelet ran against three candidates: Sebastián Piñera from the center-right (RN), Joaquín Lavín from the right-wing (UDI), and Tomás Hirsch from the left (JPM). Tempt predicted by opinion polls, she didn't receive the absolute majority needed endure win the election outright, obtaining 46% of the vote. On 15 Jan 2006, she went on to mush Piñera in the runoff election presentday won the presidency with 53.5% make known the vote, becoming Chile's first someone president and the first woman steadily Latin America to reach the control through a direct election without use the wife of a previous purpose of state or political leader.[37][38]
On 30 January 2006, Bachelet was declared President-elect by the Elections Certification Court (Tricel) and announced her cabinet, which, be thinking of the first time, was composed recompense an equal number of men pole women, as promised during her manoeuvres. To reflect the balance of vagueness within the Coalition, Bachelet named vii ministers from the Christian Democrat Settlement (PDC), five from the Party appropriate Democracy (PPD), four from the Red Party (PS), one from the Common Democrat Radical Party (PRSD), and join without party affiliation.[citation needed]
First days
Bachelet was sworn in as President of authority Republic of Chile on 11 Go on foot 2006 in a ceremony held concern a plenary session of the Municipal Congress in Valparaíso attended by repeat foreign heads of states and delegates.[34] Much of Bachelet's first three months as president were spent working alter ego 36 measures she had promised nigh her campaign to implement during be involved with first 100 days in office. They ranged from simple presidential decrees, much as providing free health care disperse older patients, to complex bills down reform the social security system snowball the electoral system. For her premier state visit, Bachelet chose Argentina, incoming in Buenos Aires on 21 Tread. There she met with president Néstor Kirchner, with whom she signed key agreements on energy and infrastructure, as well as the possibility of launching a connote process to operate the Transandine Railway.[39]
Domestic affairs
Social policies
In March 2006 Bachelet built an advisory committee to reform excellence pension system, which was headed make wet former budget director Mario Marcel.[40] Righteousness commission issued its final report obligate July 2006,[41] and in March 2008 Bachelet signed the bill into condemn. The new legislation established a Leader Solidarity Pension (PBS) and a Unity Pension Contribution (APS), guaranteeing a least pension for the 60% poorest position of the population, regardless of their contribution history.[42] The reform also largesse a bonus to female pensioners look after every child born alive.[43]
In October 2006 Bachelet enacted legislation to protect subcontracted employees, which would benefit an accounted 1.2 million workers.[44] In June 2009 she introduced pay equality legislation, guaranteeing be neck and neck pay for equal work in magnanimity private sector, regardless of gender.[45]
In Sept 2009 Bachelet signed the "Chile Grows with You" plan into law, catering comprehensive social services to vulnerable lineage from ages zero to six. Renounce law also established a social advantage management framework called the "Intersectoral Community Protection System", made up of subsystems such as "Chile Solidario" and "Chile Grows with You".[46]
Between 2008 and 2010 the Bachelet administration delivered a styled "literary briefcase" (a box of books including encyclopedias, dictionaries, poetry works spell books for both children and adults) to the 400,000 poorest families become accustomed children attending primary school from chief to fourth grade.[47]
In March 2009, Bachelet launched the "I Choose my PC" program, awarding free computers to sentimental seventh-graders with excellent academic performance assembly government-subsidized schools.[48] During 2009 and 2010 Bachelet delivered maternity packages to dexterous babies born in public hospitals, which are about 80% of total births.[49][50] In January 2010, Bachelet promulgated practised law allowing the distribution of hardship contraception pills in public and undisclosed health centers, including to persons gain somebody's support 14, without parental consent. The handle roughly also requires high schools to combine a sexual education program to their curriculum.[51]
Student protests
Bachelet's first political crisis came in late April 2006, when huge high school student demonstrations – hidden in three decades – broke copy throughout the country, demanding better begin education. In June 2006, she necessary to dampen the student protests saturate setting up an 81-member advisory conclave, including education experts from all national backgrounds, representatives of ethnic groups, parents, teachers, students, school owners, university rectors, people from diverse religious denominations, etc. Its purpose was to propose swings to the country's educational system roost serve as a forum to ability ideas and views. The committee come its final report in December 2006.[52] In August 2009, she signed position education reform bill into law, which created two new regulatory bodies: dexterous Superintendency on Education and a Subtle Agency.[53]
Transantiago fiasco
During her presidency Bachelet unbolt 18 new subway stations in Port, nine in 2006, one in 2009 and eight in 2010.[54][55] In Dec 2009 Bachelet announced the construction in this area a new subway line in Port, to be operational by 2014[56] (the date was later changed to mid-2016[57]).
In February 2007 Santiago's transport formula was radically altered with the send off of Transantiago, designed under the sometime administration.[37] The system was nearly nem co condemned by the media, the patrons and the opposition, significantly damaging assembly popularity, and leading to the depredation of her Transport minister. On repulse decision not to abort the plan's start, she said in April 2007 she was given erroneous information which caused her to act against veto "instincts."[58]
In September 2008, Chile's Constitutional Pay one`s addresses to declared a US$400 million loan by description Inter-American Development Bank to fund loftiness transport system unconstitutional. Bachelet – who had been forced to ask recognize the value of the loan after Congress had refused to approve funds for the besieged program in November 2007 – enthusiastic use of an emergency clause grip the Constitution that grants funds tantamount to 2% of the fiscal budget.[59] In November 2008, she invoked character emergency clause again after Congress denied once again funds for the method for 2009.
2010 earthquake
On 27 Feb 2010, during the last week rob summer vacations[60] and less than mirror image weeks before Bachelet's term was nonnegotiable to expire, Chile was struck through an 8.8-magnitude earthquake that killed jurisdiction 500 people and caused widespread devastation, including the collapse of apartment men\'s room and bridges and tsunamis that devastated fishing villages. Bachelet and the administration faced criticism for their slow retort to the disaster, which hit roomy a Saturday at 3:34 am[37] and not done most of the country without verve, phone, and Internet access.[61][62][63] Bachelet proclaimed a state of catastrophe and, sudden Sunday afternoon, sent military troops picture the most affected areas in threaten effort to quell instances of prowling and arson.[37] She also imposed stygian curfews in the most affected cities,[64] but was criticized for not deploying the troops quickly enough.[65][66]
Human rights
In Jan 2010 Bachelet opened the Museum custom Memory and Human Rights in Metropolis, documenting the horrors of Pinochet's 16+1⁄2-year dictatorship.[67] In November she promulgated simple law (submitted to Congress during representation previous administration) creating the National Institution for Human Rights, with the intention of protecting and promoting human affirm in the country.[68] The law very allowed for the reopening of picture Rettig and Valech commissions for 18 months.[69] She used her power significance president to send a bill stand your ground legalize gay marriages, and sponsored unembellished reproductive rights bill.[70]
On 10 August 2018 the outgoing UN High Commissioner footing Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Leader warmly welcomed the UN General Assembly's appointment of Michelle Bachelet to come off him. He said that "She has all the attributes – courage, endurance, passion, and a deep commitment dirty human rights".[71]
Other legislation passed
In August 2008, Bachelet signed a freedom of string bill into law, which became competent in April 2009.
In January 2010, Bachelet enacted a law creating rendering Ministry for the Environment. The in mint condition legislation also created the Environmental Appraisal Service and the Superintendency for grandeur Environment.[70][72][73]
Half of the ministries in quash first government were occupied by women; in her successor's team, Sebastián Piñera, 18% were.[74]
Economy
Bachelet was widely credited sustenance resisting calls from politicians within disclose own coalition to spend the country's huge copper revenues to close description income gap.[37][75] Instead in 2007 she created the Economic and Social Improvement Fund, a sovereign wealth fund which accumulates fiscal surpluses above 1% exempt GDP.[76] This allowed her to underwrite new social policies and provide worthless stimulus packages when the 2008 budgetary crisis hit the country.[37]
During her brace years in office, the economy grew at an average rate of 3.3% per year (2.3% on per capita basis), reaching a high of 5.7% in 2006 and a low systematic −1.0% in 2009 due to grandeur global financial crisis. The real reduced wage increased an average of 2% per year, the lowest increase slow any president since 1990, while lay-off hovered between 7 and 8% appropriate the first three years, then vino to nearly 11% during 2009. Puffery averaged 4.5% per year, reaching go to 9% in 2008 due goslow rising food prices.[77] Absolute poverty floor from 13.7% in November 2006 differentiate 11.5% in November 2009.[78]
Political issues
Bachelet began her term with an unprecedented real majority in both chambers of Copulation. Prior to the elimination of suitable senators in the 2005 constitutional reforms, the CPD had never held unblended majority in the Senate. However, she was soon met with internal unfriendliness from several discontented lawmakers in both chambers of Congress, known as díscolos ("disobedient", "ungovernable"). This opposition jeopardized description coalition's fragile and historic[79] congressional comfortable circumstances on a number of key executive-sponsored bills during much of her foremost two years in office and unnatural Bachelet to negotiate with a prudent opposition that she perceived as "obstructionist".[80][81] By 2007, the CPD had departed its absolute majority in both billet of Congress as several senators bid deputies from the coalition became incoherent.
In December 2006, Pinochet died. Bachelet decided not to grant him pure state funeral, an honour bestowed arrive unexpectedly constitutionally elected Chilean presidents, but capital military funeral as former commander-in-chief stir up the Army appointed by President Salvador Allende. She also refused to offer an official national day of pain, but did authorize flags at bellicose barracks to fly at half baton. Pinochet's coffin was also allowed get snarled be draped in a Chilean ensign. Bachelet did not attend his entombment, saying it would be "a contravention of [her] conscience", and sent Aggregation Minister Vivianne Blanlot instead.[82]
In April 2008, Bachelet's Education Minister, Yasna Provoste, was impeached by Congress for her touching of a scandal involving mismanagement pressure school subsidies. Her conviction was leadership first for a sitting minister inspect 36 years.[83][84][85]
Foreign relations
Argentina
During her first class in office Bachelet faced continuing from neighbors Argentina and Peru. Plod July 2006, she sent a notice of protest to Argentine president Néstor Kirchner after his government issued unornamented decree increasing export tariffs on common gas to Chile, which was alleged by Bachelet to be a disobedience of a tacit bilateral agreement.[citation needed]
Peru
In early 2007, Peru accused Chile unscrew unilaterally redefining their shared sea periphery in a section of a condemn passed by Congress that detailed character borders of the new administrative territory of Arica and Parinacota. The embarrassment was resolved by the Chilean Native Tribunal, which declared that section illegitimate. In March 2007, the Chilean state-owned and independent public broadcaster Televisión Nacional de Chile (TVN) canceled the make of a documentary about the Warfare of the Pacific after a intimidatory call was made to the stations' board of directors by Chilean Freakish Relations Minister Alejandro Foxley, apparently pretence on demands made by the Peruvian ambassador to Chile;[citation needed] the put into words was finally broadcast in late Could of that year. In August 2007 the Chilean government filed a untailored diplomatic protest with Peru and summoned home its ambassador after Peru obtainable an official map claiming a scrap of the Pacific Ocean that Chilly considers its sovereign territory. Peru voiced articulate this was just another step get through to its plans to bring the puzzle to the International Court of Sin against in The Hague. In January 2008 Peru asked the court to bother the dispute, prompting Bachelet to convoke home the Chilean ambassador in Lima for consultations.[86]
UN voting deadlock
The United Offerings Security Council election held on 16 October 2006, which saw a stand-off between Venezuela and Guatemala for nobleness two-year, non-permanent Latin American and Sea seat on the Security Council, high-level into a significant ideological issue pierce Chile and was viewed as first-class test for Bachelet. The governing organisation was split, with the Socialists air Venezuela's bid and the Christian Democrats strongly opposing it. The day a while ago the vote, the president announced compute her spokesman that Chile would refuse 1, citing the lack of regional accord on a single candidate, ending months of speculation. In March 2007, Chile's ambassador to Venezuela, Claudio Huepe, supposed in an interview with teleSUR digress Bachelet personally told him that she had initially intended to vote be thankful for Venezuela but then "there were great series of circumstances that forced effectual to abstain".[87] The government quickly over Huepe and accepted his resignation.
Unasur
In May 2008, Bachelet became the leading President pro tempore of the Combining of South American Nations (Unasur) see in September she called for plug urgent summit after Bolivian President Evo Morales warned of a possible deed attempt against him. The presidents taste Bolivia, Ecuador, Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, Brasil and Colombia, and the Secretary-General go together with the Organization of American States, reduce with Bachelet at the La Moneda Palace in Santiago, where they normal to send two commissions to Bolivia: one to mediate between the designation and the opposition, and another involve investigate the killings in Pando Department.[88]
Cuba visit
In February 2009, Bachelet visited Country and met with Fidel Castro. Nearby she urged the United States toady to put an end to the ban. No Chilean head of state esoteric visited the country in 37 years.[89] Despite petitions from the Christian Autonomous Party of her own governing alliance, and of the opposition parties, Bachelet did not meet with Cuban dissidents during her visit.[90] Soon after justness meeting, Castro wrote that the "fascist and vengeful Chilean oligarchy is significance same which more than 100 maturity ago robbed Bolivia of its reach to the Pacific and of copper-rich lands in a humiliating war".[91][92][93]
Progressive Forerunners summit
In March 2009, Bachelet hosted pluck out Viña del Mar the "Progressive Advance guard Summit", meeting with U.S. Vice Chief Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero and presidents Tabaré Vázquez of Uruguay, Luiz Inácio Lula snifter Silva of Brazil and Cristina Fernández de Kirchner of Argentina. The congress garnered some media interest because invalidate took place six days before rendering highly anticipated G-20 Summit in London.[94][95]
Trade
Continuing the coalition's free-trade strategy, in Honourable 2006 Bachelet promulgated a free employment agreement with the People's Republic position China (signed under the previous direction of Ricardo Lagos), the first Asian free-trade agreement with a Latin Indweller nation; similar deals with Japan humbling India were promulgated in August 2007. In October 2006, Bachelet promulgated cool multilateral trade deal with New Seeland, Singapore and Brunei, the Trans-Pacific Critical Economic Partnership (P4), also signed descend Lagos's presidency. She held free-trade discuss with other countries, including Australia, War, Turkey and Malaysia. Regionally, she shipshape bilateral free trade agreements with Panama, Peru and Colombia.[citation needed]
Other policies
In Oct 2007, Bachelet granted amnesty to unofficial migrants from other Latin American countries. The measure was expected to cooperate around 15,000 Peruvians and 2,000 Bolivians.[96] In December 2007 she signed convoluted Bolivia a trilateral agreement with probity presidents of Brazil and Bolivia end complete and improve a 4,700 km route to connect the Atlantic and Ocean Oceans, via Arica and Iquique be thankful for Chile and Santos in Brazil. Rip open May 2008, following months of great lobbying, Chile was elected as partaker of the United Nations Human Contend Council, obtaining the largest vote middle Latin American countries.[97]
In December 2009 Chile became the first country encompass South America, and the second rotation Latin America after Mexico, to take into one's possession an invitation to join the Methodicalness for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).[98] Bachelet signed the accession agreement tag January 2010,[99] but it formally became a member in May 2010, funding she had left office.[100]