Father's Life
What was Michelle's father's role in the government?
He was a general in the Chilean Air Force, and Michelle's family moved around a lot due to him being in the Air Force.
Why did Michelle and her mother get thrown in clandestine jail?
They were thrown in jail because they were trying to bring awareness as to the horrible things going on in Chile.
What was her first job?
Michelle's first job was a doctor, because she believed that people who were suffering in an emergency room or just in general, shouldn't have to wait so long to get medical help.
What did she do during her time as president?
She wanted to focus on the social rights, economic rights, and improve the human rights of her people.
What was going on in Chile back then?
Well, Pinochet was president at the time who was a very horrible dictator. He would execute political prisoners, and tortured many people. And if people knew you were against the Chilean Government, they'd kill you, you'd "disappear", or you'd be thrown in jail and be tortured.
Why was her father put in prison?
He believed that presidents are chosen democratically, and that the citizens decide if they want the president to continue, not the Armed Forces.
What is clandestine jail?
They are basically detention centers that people are sent to and they are watched over by guards from the Chilean government.
What was her second job?
In 1990, democracy was restored in Chile. The people of Chile all rallied together because Pinochet was trying to stay as president for another eight years. A majority of Chile voted to get him out, to show that he was no longer wanted as president. And when Patricio Aylwin won, he appointed Michelle as Health Minister.
What was the name of the museum she created and why did she create it?
The name of the museum she created was the Museum of the Memory and Human Rights. She created the museum to show people the bad stuff that was going on in Chile, and to influence people to not have things go back to that dark time.
What happened in 1994-95?
"Eduardo Frei succeeds Aylwin as president and begins to reduce the military's influence in government" (BBC News).
What was his experience in prison? (TW!!!)
So he was psychologically and physically tortured, and put a gun in his cell to influence him to kill himself. Though he wasn't tempted and they ended up bringing him to public jail where he ended up dying of a heart attack.
What was the name of the jail Michelle and her mom were sent to?
Michelle and her mom were sent to a detention center called Villa Grimaldi. Which was a very well known place for torture.
What was her third job?
She became the first ever female president of Chile, and the first ever female Defence Minister of Chile. And at the time she was the fifth female Defence Minister in the world.
What was the name of the institute Michelle created?
The National Institute for Human Rights. Which addresses the rights she focused on during her presidency; economic, social, human, civil, political, and cultural rights.
Why did Michelle lose her first presidential election?
"Presidential elections. Socialist Michelle Bachelet gains the most votes but fails to win more than 50% support, forcing a second-round vote against conservative billionaire and former senator Sebastian Pinera" (BBC News).
How was Michelle treated when the University of Chile found out her father was in jail for being "against the government"?
Michelle was discriminated against by the people in her university, an example would be that she would be silent in class but someone would tell her to be quiet even though she was.
What was their experience in Villa Grimaldi? (Very heavy TW!!)
Michelle and her mother were separated and blindfolded, they were put into rooms with other women. And Michelle had witnessed some pretty horrific stuff; women being sexually assaulted by guards, women being shocked in an electrical room, etc. The guards were really bad people, and induced psychological and physical torture. But there were some good guards, as well who only focused on their job.
What is her current job?
Currently, Michelle is in charge of the UN Women and is the leader of the human rights bureau in the UN, also known as the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Her job is to give people a voice and drill into the member states heads that they should play a role in protecting and securing the human rights of their people.
What law did Michelle sign back in 2007?
She signed a law that allowed the morning-after pill to be given to girls at the age of 14 and up without parental consent (BBC News).
What happened to the people who tortured Michelle's father?
They were sentenced to jail for torturing her father and for following the orders of Pinochet (BBC News).
How did other people react to Michelle's father being in jail for being "against the government"?
A lot of doctors and professors left Chile because they were against the government. If the University found out you were pro-against the government, they'd expel you and some people would harass them. Other governments were asking the military to release Michelle's father and let him go to a neighboring country, but they refused.
Where did Michelle and her mother go after they were released?
Michelle and her mother were permitted to leave Chile and left to go to Australia after two-three weeks of suffering in jail and going through an enforced disappearance.
What other law was she planning on signing in 2015 that was passed?
She was planning on ending the total ban of abortions in Chile, and now abortions are legal in Chile (BBC News).
What happened in 2020 for Chile?
"A referendum backs rewriting the constitution, which was adopted during the rule of August Pinochet" (BBC News).