It’s official: Latin America elects first female head of state

For U.S. President George W. Bush, Bachelet’s election is more like a knife in the back than the seminal event in women’s liberation (and global geopolitics) that the rest of us are celebrating today. And anyone familiar with her politics and religion (socialist and agnostic) can understand why.

Moreover, as I wrote in this previous article, Bachelet is only the latest in a succession of newly elected leaders in Latin America to proudly claim America’s perennial nemesis, Cuban President Fidel Castro, as their mentor and Bush’s sworn enemy, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, as their role model; whilst showing either contempt or empowered indifference to the “leader of the free world.”

Indeed, as President Bush was busy fomenting democratic revolutions in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, Chavez was busy fomenting socialist counter-revolutions throughout the Americas (where Venezuelan oil is replacing American cash as the more persuasive diplomatic currency). And, it’s nothing, if not ironic, that as support for Bush is waning amongst leaders of developed nations, support for Chavez is burgeoning amongst leaders of developing nations who see in him a formidable champion for their underdog causes.

In fact, since Bush launched his democracy crusade in 2001, disciples of socialism amongst the ranks of leaders in Latin America have only increased. They now include:

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil – elected in 2002; Néstor Kirchner of Argentina – elected in 2003; Tabare Vasquez of Uruguay – elected in 2004; Evo Morales of Bolivia – elected in 2005; and now Bachelet of Chile.

Meanwhile, Ollanta Humala of Peru is being groomed by Chavez to join their ranks. Indeed, the political climate is conducive in a number of countries in the Americas for acolytes of Chavez to be elected heads of state this year. And, if anyone doubts the geopolitical consequences this paradigm shift from capitalism to neo-socialism portends for this hemisphere, click here!

Nonetheless, given the unprecedented wealth that Chile’s capitalist, market-orientated economy has produced in recent years, it will be interesting to see if Bachelet is willing to risk her country’s economic (and her political) capital by nationalizing industries and implementing welfare programmes – as Chavez has done in Venezuela. Frankly, I suspect she will prove a socialist more in political rhetoric than in economic practice….

Note: U.S. First Lady Laura Bush was conspicuously present in Liberia yesterday at the inauguration of Africa’s first female head of state, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf. Therefore, given his administration’s tepid response to her election, it will be a test of Bush’s character and true commitment to democracy to see if he dispatches his wife to Chile to attend the historic inauguration of the democratically elected, but defiantly socialist, Bachelet.

Stay tuned….