Gabriel Boric presents a cabinet with a female majority and with political nods to the center left

In an unprecedented milestone in the American continent, the president-elect of Chile, Gabriel Boric, named this Friday a cabinet with a majority of women, with the independent doctor Izkia Siches (Interior and Public Security) and the communist deputy Camila Vallejo (vocería) as the strongest female figures.

It is the first time in the history of Chile that a woman will be in charge of Interior and Public Security, the ministry that has the most political weight, in charge of public order and articulating the rest of the cabinet.

Of the 24 portfolios, 14 will be held by women: Antonia Urrejola (External relationships), maya fernandez (Defending), Jeanette Vega (Social development), Marcela Rios (Justice), Jeanette Jara (Job), Maria Begona Yarza (Health), Marcela Hernando (Mining), Javiera Bull (National Assets), Maria Eloisa Rojas (Environment), Alexandra Benado (Sport), Antonia Orellana (Woman) and Juliet Brodsky (Culture), in addition to Siches Y Vallejo.

“Today a new chapter begins to be written in our democratic history. We are not starting from scratch, we know that there is a story that elevates and inspires us”, indicated the former student leader, who at 36 will become the next March 11 in the youngest president of Chile.

The elected president of Chile, Gabriel Boric (ci), poses today for a photograph with his government cabinet, during the official presentation of the ministers at the National Museum of Natural History in Santiago (Chile). EFE/Alberto Valdes

MAINSTREAMING GENDER EQUITY

Urrejola, a respected lawyer who was president of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), will also play a fundamental role as foreign minister in disseminating the change of borik in a region that is veering to the left.

Within chiliwill be the communist Vallejo responsible for communicating the progress of a government that seeks to dismantle the neoliberal model installed during the military dictatorship (1973-1990) and expand the role of the State towards a welfare model similar to that of Europe.

Boric’s partner in student struggles, the future spokeswoman will be the first communist since the return to democracy in 1990 to join the so-called Political Committee, the hard core of the government.

“We are going to make all the changes that we have proposed, as we said in the pandemic, step by step, because we have the convention that the vast majority of Chileans demand structural changes that make it possible to have a decent life”assured the still deputy for Magallanes.

Another of the great innovations is the inclusion in the Political Committee -together with the Interior, the Treasury, the spokesperson and the General Secretariat of the Presidency (Segpres)– from the Ministry of Women, in a powerful signal to feminist groups, crucial in Boric’s victory.

“If we want to mainstream the fight for gender equity, the Ministry of Women cannot be isolated, that catch-all institution where all gender issues are put cannot. It is very important that it be recategorized and cover all areas”, he told Efe Julieta Suarez-Cao, of the Catholic University and the Network of Political Scientists of Chile.

The future Minister of the Interior and Public Security, Izkia Siches, is the first woman in Chilean history to hold this position. EFE/Alberto Valdes

ECONOMIC TEAM TO reassure markets

For Treasury, he was chosen Mario Marcel, the current president of the Central Bank and a respected figure in business circles, highly critical of borik during the election campaign.

Independent although close to socialism – he was Director of Budgets in the Government of Ricardo Lagos (2000-2006)-, Marcel will pilot an economy that has recovered from the crisis faster than expected, but with inflation that closed 2021 at 7.2%, the highest in 14 years.

In this enormous task, he will be accompanied in Economics by the academician Nicolás Grau -of Social Convergence (CS), the party of borik– and in Work and Social Welfare the communist Jeannette Jara.

“We take on with enormous energy the challenge of consolidating the recovery of our economy without reproducing its structural inequalities. We are talking about sustainable growth, accompanied by a fair redistribution of wealth”Boric said.

The academic from the University of Talca, Maurice Morales, told Efe that Marcel is “Without a doubt, the best name available for the Treasury,” since he is “a recognized economist with experience in the public world.”

The right hand of borik, George Jacksonwill be in front of the security, which is in charge of relations with Parliament, where as of March there will be no majorities, and I approve Dignity -the coalition made up of the wide front and the communist party with which Boric won the ballot with more than 55.8% of the votes – he only has 37 deputies and 5 senators.

Precisely with a view to having governability, the future president included in his cabinet traditional center-left parties that did not support him in the first round, such as the Socialist Party (PS), the party for democracy (PPD), the Liberal Party and the radical party (PR).

It is the case of Fernandez, the granddaughter of the ousted president Salvador Allende who will be in command of the Armed forces; the socialist senator Carlos Montes (Housing and Urban Planning); the “pepedé” Vega (Social development); the liberal Juan Carlos Garcia (Public Works) and the radical Hernando (Mining).

For Jaime Abedrapo, of the San Sebastian University, it is a “right move” that the former student leader has decided “expand your support base”: “With the 25% of Parliament that has I Approve Dignity, structural reforms cannot be carried out”, assured Efe.

The rest of the ministerial payroll is made up of Marco Antonio Avila (Education), Stephen Valenzuela (Farming), Juan Carlos Munoz (Transportation and Telecommunications), Claudio Huepe (Energy) and Andrew Flavio (Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation).

“We are joined in this team by ministers of diverse origins and formations, a diverse cabinet as diverse as our country is”Boric concluded. EFE

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