Michelle Bachelet took office on March 11 last year, for a second nonconsecutive term, and Chilean President Faces More Challenges in Second Year
President Bachelet plans to move ahead with policy reforms as economy weakens
her approval rating has dropped to 31%, according to pollster Cadem. Pollster Adimark has her with 39% support, down from a high of 54% in March last year. Both firms say that recent revelations that a bank allegedly sped a loan to family members was a blow to her image, although Ms. Bachelet denies knowing of the loan. Family members have denied any wrongdoing and no charges have been filed in the case.
Political analysts say that Ms. Bachelet will continue with her reform platforms, focusing on the education and labor sectors, and could start a debate on modifying the nation’s constitution, due in part to its roots in the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet.
Color me skeptical on her proposed modifications to the constitution. Chile has flourished exactly because of that Constitution.
Regarding her son, he was reducing his “inequality”:
A prosecutor is investigating whether Sebastian Davalos and his wife got privileged access to a $10 million loan to buy land they later sold for about $15 million. The loan was approved a day after Bachelet was elected president in December 2013.
Davalos already had resigned his post as director of social and cultural activities for the presidency.
Bachelet claims she knew nothing about the loan.
