MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chaos in Santiago's transit triggers cabinet reshuffle

Santiago commuters said enough and Bachelet axes four ministers

Chilean president Michelle Bachelet reshuffled the cabinet late Monday replacing the ministers of the Presidency, Defense, Justice and Transport in an attempt to contain the social and political protests against a recently inaugurated chaotic Santiago transport system.

"Things here haven't been well done", said Bachelet speaking on national television to justify the drastic changes which also signal the return of men close to former president Ricardo Lagos (2000/2006) who is planning his reelection in 2009. "All this must improve now", she said. "The inhabitants of Santiago, especially the poorest, deserve an apology from all of us" admitted Bachelet who over the weekend was accused of weakness by leaders of the opposition and even from her own ruling coalition. Soledad Alvear chairman of the Christian Democrats, junior members of the coalition, had warned that the crisis caused by the new Santiago transport system was putting at risk the fifth term of the Democratic Convergence, the political alliance that has held office in Chile since 1990 when the return of democracy. Among the outgoing officials the powerful Minister of the Executive, Paulina Veloso, responsible for the legislative agenda. She was replaced by a former Senator Jose Viera Gallo who is the visible face of Mr Lagos project to return to office in 2010. Defense minister Vivianne Blanlot also was removed; her son has been prosecuted for burglary; Minister of Justice Isidro Solis and the head of the Ministry of Transportation, Sergio Espejo who is held responsible for the incompetence and upheaval caused by the new transportation system that changed routes and imposed electronic payment, but never worked. Bachelet's popularity has fallen together with the failure of the public transport system in the capital Santiago, home to over one-third of Chile's population. Last July and only four months in office, Bachelet was forced to replace her Interior, Economy and Education ministers following student protests. Monday's Cabinet changes came after weeks of loud protests by commuters in Santiago against the Transantiago transit system, revamped by the government in February. The system became strained immediately after changes were implemented, but the overcrowding became unbearable early in March when hundreds of thousands of students went back to school at the end of the Southern Hemisphere summer.