Today I'll be serious...

Today is Election Day in Chile. President’s election, to be more specific…

If citizens so decide, tomorrow Chile will have the first woman President of its history as a country: Michelle Bachelet (who, in case of being elected, will also be one the scarce female leaders running a country (4%) on the global scene, we might add).

If the case is the contrary, Chile will now be in the hands of a multimillionaire business man that the media has baptized as “The Chilean Berlusconi”: Sebastian Pinera (the owner of Chilean main airlines company, a nationwide television channel and the holder of other important and various investments).

While Bachelet represents the “center-left” wing coalition governing the country in this moment, Pinera is the “center-right” wing candidate aiming to kick the coalition out of the government, after a decade and a half of being in power. And the victory of any of the two would be somehow significant:

- Bachelet’s for the obvious “female” factor detailed above.
- Pinera’s because he would become the first “right-wing” President to be elected since Chile’s return to democracy in 1988, when Pinochet’s regime was rejected by the masses in a plebiscite (a process, however, in which Pinera stood against the old dictator)

Truly, within the limits one can grant politicians, they are both valuable candidates. And, thus, it’s no surprise than polls prediction gives them a current 5% average difference (though it must be considered than Bachelet reached 46% all by herself, against 26% of Pinera´s, on a first round, of a election a month ago, with the presence of two other candidates).

Despite what biased supporters might say, Bachelet’s is not the “hard line red leftie” that conservatives claim she is hiding behind her smiles, nor Pinera is the “Berlusconi” his opponents try to portray (Chilean political, legal and finance controlling systems are by far more organized and less corrupted than Italy’s – and quite a few others “leading” developed democracies, as well).

The buoyant economy and political stability, most chileans’ top priorities, will remain the same, no matter who wins. Used to a standard of living continuously improving in the past two decades, Chile’s biggest challenge, in this moment, reside on a “much to be improved” distribution of richness and the implementation of a truly wide and effective social coverage system (both in terms of pensions and health related issues).

If I were in Chile, I would back up Bachelet’s candidature because I believe her election would benefit dealing with the most urgent needs of the country. I also consider here that in the case she got elected, it would also be the first time than both the Congress and the Presidency would be in control of the same coalition since the return to democracy and that would greatly benefit the impulse of long awaited social reforms.

On a more personal ground, I like her profile. On a country with a strong conservative tradition (which covers the whole spectrum from right-wing to left-wing individuals), the idea of a successful divorced woman, with three sons of two different marriages, appeals to me for all it represents against the oppressive conventionalism of Chilean society. And somehow feel that this is the first time Chile has got the chance to change (for the better) its view on a lot of things.

Let’s say, on this occasion, I think Bachelet is a much better bet than Pinera. And I think I know what I’m talking about...

After all I backed Pinera for a Senator seat, over a decade ago.


Why do I post all this???
Well, it doesn’t hurt that you know about it, does it???