Chile Elects First Woman President
Chileans have just elected Michelle Bachelet by a 53% majority as the first woman president. A socialist, her election is another chapter in the 34 year struggle to put the right wing dictatorship and bloody historical stain of Augusto Pinochet behind and to return to a popularly elected government which reflects the majority opinion of Chileans. (Pinochet, with US and CIA assistance on orders of then republican president Nixon, including air strikes coordinated by the CIA, overthrew the democratically elected government of Salvador Allende on September 11, 1973, resulting in Allende’s death.)
Bachelet, 54, is the daughter of a military officer who was tortured and murdered during the US backed Pinochet dicatorship for opposing human rights abuses and kidnapping and subsequent murder of 10s of thousands of Chileans.
“I don’t see why we need to stand by and watch a country go communist due to the irresponsibility of its own people. The issues are much too important for the Chilean voters to be left to decide for themselves.” ?Äî Henry Kissinger
“Make the economy scream [in Chile to] prevent Allende from coming to power or to unseat him” ?Äî Richard Nixon