Michelle Bachelet is set to resume her former position as president of Chile in March 2014 after a resounding second round victory against her opponent and former childhood playmate, Evelyn Matthei. In an acceptance speech late Sunday night the president-elect touched on two key platforms of her campaign: free higher education and a new constitution.
Former president and opposition candidate Michelle Bachelet, as well as Evelyn Matthei, candidate of the conservative ruling coalition for the coming 17 November elections coincided in describing the death of retired general Odlanier Mena Salinas who killed himself as ‘tragic’.
The Chilean government plans to raise spending 3.9% next year, the second-smallest increase since 2003 and below the central bank’s forecast for economic growth in 2014. The budget will focus on employment, education, crime, poverty, children, pensioners and infrastructure, President Sebastian Piñera said in a televised address without giving details.
The Pacific Alliance made its official presentation in New York before 200 business people and investors, mostly from the US, with four top anchor men: the presidents of Chile, Peru and Colombia and Mexico’s foreign trade minister since head of state Enrique Peña Nieto had to remain in the country because of the catastrophic floods.
President Horacio Cartes said that during 2014 links between Paraguay and Mercosur will be fully re-established and by then all the skirmishes motivated by the access of Venezuela as full member of the group, “will be overcome”. However Cartes also mentioned that Paraguay, with support from Chile has a strategic access to the Pacific basin.
At least 42 policemen were injured and 264 protesters arrested in violent clashes as Chile marked the 40th anniversary of the coup that brought Augusto Pinochet to power, officials said on Thursday.
The Chilean government replied strongly to suggestions from Cristina Fernandez referred to President Sebastian Piñera and his personal fortune saying that in Chile ‘the president and high officials once elected must abide by rules of transparency” and that is why the president voluntarily agreed to sell his stake in LAN airlines before taking office to avoid a conflict of interests.
Lan Chile went to court in Argentina on Monday to appeal its eviction from a hangar at the metropolitan Buenos Aires Aeroparque airport, which is a crucial element of its national and regional operations. Several unions have anticipated that if the eviction is not stopped they will go on strike and interrupt domestic flights.
President Sebastian Piñera asked Chileans to forgive him for a 2012 census that a review panel found to be so flawed it should be thrown out, a political embarrassment for his government months before a general election.
A United Nations investigator on Tuesday urged Chile’s government to stop using an anti-terrorism law against Mapuche Indians who are fighting to recover their ancestral land.