the story of Jeannette Jara

The next December 14Chile faces historic elections. Whatever happens, the future of the country will not be tempered. The presidential election will not only define who will lead the country for the next four years, but will also test the validity of a social model, the pulse of a polarized population and the place that women occupy in Latin American politics.

And at the center of this scenario is a figure unexpected for many: Jeannette Jaraformer temporary worker, lawyer, former Minister of Labor and communist activist since adolescence, who achieved what no other female figure in her party had achieved for over a century: winning the first round of the presidential election.

His opponent in this second round is not just anyone. At the other extreme is José Antonio Kast, a 59-year-old lawyer, leader of the most conservative right, founder of the Republican Party and declared defender of the legacy of the Augusto Pinochet dictatorship. The confrontation between the two outlines two profoundly different national projects, immersed in the wave of polarization.

In this climate, Jara sought another tone. “Let’s ensure that our campaign, instead of being based on the disqualification of others, is based on their support,” he declared at the closing of his campaign. A message that seeks to connect with moderate sectors in an ideologically fractured country. But who is really the woman who could become the first communist president in Chilean history?

Temporary at 14 years old

Jeannette Alejandra Jara Román born in 1973 and is the eldest of five siblings. Your parents, Sergio Elias Jara Ulloaindustrial mechanic and union leader, and Jeanette del Carmen Román Guzmánthey worked long days outside the home. She grew up in the town of El Cortijo, in Conchalia working-class neighborhood in the north of Santiago. From a young age, she learned that stability was never guaranteed and that education was the surest way to get ahead.

However, reality pushed her into the world of work well before she came of age. At the age of 12, accompanied by her grandmother, she began working as a temporarycutting fruit during the summer to contribute to the family economy. This experience marked his connection with the world of work. Years later, she herself declared that this routine of getting up before dawn, working in the sun and depending on the price of fruit had forged her political commitment.

Communist as a teenager

At the age of 14, Jara took a step that would define his future: he approached the youth of the Communist Party of Chile. In the midst of a military dictatorship, this gesture was not insignificant. Communist activism meant risk, secrecy, organization and, above all, conviction.

During his school and university years he became student and union leader. He also explores another form of activism: muralism. On the walls of Santiago, often at dawn, he painted slogans and scenes denouncing human rights violations. Art as resistance was his political school, which he would transmit years later to institutions.

Grief and resilience

His private life was also marked by an unexpected blow. At 21, she was widowed. Her husband, Gonzalo Garrido Rojas, whom she had married two years earlier, died suddenly.

Some time later, he started a new family with Victor Gajardo Aguilerawith whom he had his only son, Andrés. Today, he strictly watches over the private lives of both, especially during the campaign. “It’s not my personal life that’s important, what’s important is Chile,” he said several times.

Reduced working hours

The turning point in his political career came when President Gabriel Boric He named her Minister of Labor and Social Welfare. From this position he promoted one of the most important social reforms in recent years: the reduction of the working day from 45 to 40 hours per week, a historic demand in Chile.

The initiative was complex: it took months of negotiations with businessmen, trade unions, the opposition and the unions. The result was hailed as a significant step forward in work-life balance and wellbeing. For many, Jara demonstrated his capacity for dialogue, his firmness and his ability to negotiate.

But his detractors were quick to react. Certain economic sectors have ensured that the reform productivity affected and contributed to increasing unemployment, which currently stands at 8.5%. The former minister then became the target of media and economic criticism, which, paradoxically, increased her public visibility.

An application

Jeannette Jara does not only represent a political project; also a biography that challenges million Chileans who worked, cared, survived and resisted. His story breaks the traditional mold of those who came The rooma space historically dominated by elite men.

Her candidacy raises profound questions: Can a communist woman fully lead Chile? 21st century? Can the country remedy a polarization that has persisted since the dictatorship? Can your personal career connect with those seeking more empathetic, relatable, and social leadership?

A historic decision

More than a presidential election, the second round will be a referendum on the country’s model: on the role of the State, social rights, democratic coexistence and the type of leadership that Pepper wants to project onto the world.

Jeannette Jara arrives at the polls with an unusual and ambitious story. From cutting fruit under the sun to running for president: a journey that speaks both of her and of Chile which is taking shape.

On December 14, Chileans will decide whether this story will be enough to guide the destiny of a divided, hopeful and transforming country.