Members of the Council on Foreign Relations were privileged today to hear Chilean President Michelle Bachelet speak about world and hemispheric matters. She is a truly remarkable human being whose life story is the stuff of movies. She has demonstrated the courage that too many other politicians display only in rhetorical terms.
Chile lived through its own "9-11" on September 11, 1973 when strongman General Augusto Pinochet overthrew the democratically elected government of Salvador Allende - complete with U.S. support. At the time of the coup, Bachelet's father was a General loyal to the government who refused political exile and was tortured and killed by Pinochet operatives in the Santiago Public Prison. The President and her mother were subsequently detained, imprisoned and tortured at the infamous Villa Grimaldi detention center in Santiago.
So here is a surgeon, pediatrician and epidemiologist who speaks five languages, has training in military and defense matters, served as her nation's Minister of Defense and knows the horror of torture firsthand. It's a curious thing, but some people are actually experienced, trained and ready to lead a nation. This brilliant, honorable and proven woman is one of them.
She was diplomatic in discussing the United States. And why not? Our two nations enjoy reasonably productive relations. What a blast from the past she delivered, however, when asked how she could help the next U.S. President take Latin America more seriously. She said, "You can’t see us as children. We’re adults and we’ve been behaving well." Indeed, she cited 21 free and fair elections in Latin American in the recent past; none of them doubted and disputed. Those of us watching Latin America for many decades remember all too well the interchangeable line-up of thuggish juntas that led most of these nations for much of their post-colonial periods. She urged the U.S. to rediscover the benefits of multilateralism as the only platform from which to address three immediate global crises: food, fuel and finances.
In defense of democracy, Bachelet said that Brazilian President Lula told her yesterday that over 20 million Brazilians have been lifted out of poverty and into the middle class. These trends are wonderful, although they have as much to do with changes in global commodity markets, improvements in the Brazilian economy and infrastructure, and Lula's somewhat effective tenure as President. After all, China is also lifting tens of millions out of poverty without any pretense of democracy. Still, the region is blessed to have effective, stable leaders like Bachelet and Lula.
She was passionate about conditions on the ground in Haiti where 600 Chileans serve as United Nations peacekeepers, reminding us of what four devastating recent storms can do to an already-destitute land. She was also entertainingly canny in dodging anything to do with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Go figure!
See earlier blog entries on Chile from Santigao, Valparaiso, Melpilla and Isla Negra from January 5-11, 2007.
Chile lived through its own "9-11" on September 11, 1973 when strongman General Augusto Pinochet overthrew the democratically elected government of Salvador Allende - complete with U.S. support. At the time of the coup, Bachelet's father was a General loyal to the government who refused political exile and was tortured and killed by Pinochet operatives in the Santiago Public Prison. The President and her mother were subsequently detained, imprisoned and tortured at the infamous Villa Grimaldi detention center in Santiago.
So here is a surgeon, pediatrician and epidemiologist who speaks five languages, has training in military and defense matters, served as her nation's Minister of Defense and knows the horror of torture firsthand. It's a curious thing, but some people are actually experienced, trained and ready to lead a nation. This brilliant, honorable and proven woman is one of them.
She was diplomatic in discussing the United States. And why not? Our two nations enjoy reasonably productive relations. What a blast from the past she delivered, however, when asked how she could help the next U.S. President take Latin America more seriously. She said, "You can’t see us as children. We’re adults and we’ve been behaving well." Indeed, she cited 21 free and fair elections in Latin American in the recent past; none of them doubted and disputed. Those of us watching Latin America for many decades remember all too well the interchangeable line-up of thuggish juntas that led most of these nations for much of their post-colonial periods. She urged the U.S. to rediscover the benefits of multilateralism as the only platform from which to address three immediate global crises: food, fuel and finances.
In defense of democracy, Bachelet said that Brazilian President Lula told her yesterday that over 20 million Brazilians have been lifted out of poverty and into the middle class. These trends are wonderful, although they have as much to do with changes in global commodity markets, improvements in the Brazilian economy and infrastructure, and Lula's somewhat effective tenure as President. After all, China is also lifting tens of millions out of poverty without any pretense of democracy. Still, the region is blessed to have effective, stable leaders like Bachelet and Lula.
She was passionate about conditions on the ground in Haiti where 600 Chileans serve as United Nations peacekeepers, reminding us of what four devastating recent storms can do to an already-destitute land. She was also entertainingly canny in dodging anything to do with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Go figure!
See earlier blog entries on Chile from Santigao, Valparaiso, Melpilla and Isla Negra from January 5-11, 2007.