“I never imagined that I would be a presidential candidate. Not because I thought I couldn’t, but because it is unusual for someone who comes from El Cortijo, in Conchali, to open the doors of the Government House.” At the grand finale of the campaign in Santiago, on Tuesday, Janet Jara He was talking about his neighborhood, one of the most modest neighborhoods in the northern part of Chile’s capital. Not only did she become a candidate, but in the first round she took first place. The challenge will be more difficult in four weeks.
He is 51 years old, a lawyer and graduate of public administration, a member of the Communist Party and a former Minister of Labor in the government Gabriel BorekJara won the centre-left primary in June with 60% of the vote against Social Democratic candidate Karolina Tuha, also a former Buric minister and the face of the more moderate wing of the broad ruling coalition.
but Its communist history generates rejection In a large part of the Chilean population. Even among those who have traditionally voted for centre-left figures.
Jara has been active in the Communist Party since he was 14, and announced during the election campaign that if he became president of Chile, he would “suspend or resign” from the party as a signal that it represented a “much broader coalition.”
It is considered a number Less dogmatic Compared to other communist leaders, he was not the first choice to lead the party, with whom he maintained his differences publicly. In fact, it was more conciliatory with politicians than other sectors. In the campaign there was a move towards more centrist positions and even promised tough action against crime and insecurity.
The daughter of a housewife and a mechanic, Jara is the eldest of five children and the first in her family to go to university.
Her career in the public sector began in Michelle Bachelet’s second term (2014-2018), when she served as Undersecretary of Social Security. Since then they have maintained a political and personal closeness and are often compared for their sympathetic and approachable style.
together Practical and negotiating styleJara’s political position is characterized by ideological conviction but also openness to dialogue, which allowed him to resolve differences within Buric’s government, as a result of a broad coalition ranging from left to social democracy.
As Labor Minister, she promoted a series of initiatives, many of which derived from the demands of the massive protests that rocked the country from October 2019 to the beginning of 2020, and represented a discontinuity in Chile.
Among them, he achieved the reduction of the working day from 45 to 40 hours per week, the implementation of a law against harassment in the workplace and the reform of the pension system, a long-term demand of the middle sectors in this country.
He also led negotiations on Increase the minimum wageWhich, as of January, will reach 539 thousand pesos (about $565) and has been able to conclude agreements with businessmen and the opposition.
Although he was the face of the ruling center-left party in this campaign, Jara went for it distinguishes itself from Boric’s government, It reaches the end of its cycle with declining popularity and a rejection rate of more than 60%. The president also did not express much support for the nomination of his former minister, and remained on the sidelines during the race.
At the conclusion of his election campaign a few days ago, Jara promised, “There is a lot at stake, not just the presidential elections, but two very different models. We want democracy, unity, social commitment, and leaving no one behind.” The campaign has just begun.
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