Posted on 12/15/2013 6:17:27 PM PST by Extremely Extreme Extremist
SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) - Chile's once and future leader Michelle Bachelet easily won Sunday's presidential runoff, returning center-left parties to power by promising profound social changes in response to years of street protests.
Bachelet won 62 percent of the vote, the most decisive victory in eight decades of Chilean elections. Her conservative rival, Evelyn Matthei only got 37 percent of the vote and conceded defeat in the worst performance for the right in two decades.
Bachelet needs the momentum of her resounding victory to strengthen her mandate and try to overcome congressional opposition to fulfill her promises.
The 62-year old pediatrician ended her 2006-2010 presidency with 84 percent approval ratings despite failing to achieve any major changes. This time however, activists are vowing to hold her to her promises, which include raising corporate taxes to 25 percent from 20 percent to help fund an education overhaul and changing the dictatorship-era constitution, a difficult goal given congressional opposition.
(Excerpt) Read more at wjtv.com ...
free stuff!
People actually start believing the bull that government can give away more than it takes away.
Scratch Chile as a possible destination for expats. Chile is a South American success story, so why destroy it with a hard turn to the left?
Well, Chile’s off my Galt’s Gulch list...
Fine is a relative term. Prolly not fine for Salvador.
On one of the main highways from Antofagasta there sits as stark reminder of the “re-training” Pinochet gave the Allende’s Marxist followers.
What's there?
We heard stories of thousands of marxists getting exiled on the southern islands, where they would have to actually work if they wanted to eat.
Its a small group of burned out heavy concrete buildings set into a rock wall or cave right next to the highway toward La Negra. I asked what it was and was told it was where the Marxists were “taken care of” after Allende. It looks the part!
Have driven by it many times, not once was anyone there. Whenever there is some strike at one of the mines, the union guys burn tires in the middle of the road next to it, maybe in memory of their departed brethren.
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