“Chile is not disintegrating. We are not those who promote hatred; on the contrary, that is why I do not hide behind any glass, because I am not afraid of the Chilean people.”
With these words, Jeannette Jara, lawyer and presidential candidate for the Communist Party of Chile, spoke to more than 20,000 people at her campaign closing rally in the Maipú neighborhood, one of the most populous in Santiago.
Jeannette, who was Minister of Labor during Gabriel Boric’s government, represents, for some experts, a crucial factor in this Sunday’s presidential elections (14).
This is the first time in more than 25 years that the Communist Party has managed to present a candidate for the presidency of La Moneda (the presidential palace) with the support of the entire left-wing coalition, after a significant victory in the primaries over Carolina Tohá (Socialist Party), its main opponent and also a former minister during the Boric government.
Jara advanced to the second round of the presidential elections, which he is contesting against, from the Republican Party.
Who is Jeannette Jara?
Jeannette Alejandra Jara Román is a 51-year-old politician.
Born on April 23, 1974, in Santiago, she is the oldest of five children and spent her childhood in the Conchalí neighborhood, in the north of the city.
Daughter of a mechanic and a housewife, she was raised in a left-wing environment.
“I come from a working family and I know what it’s like to wake up early to work and return home late, hoping that the sacrifice is worth it,” declared the candidate in a speech on April 8.
She married for the first time at 19, but was widowed at 21.
She became a mother at 33 and, during her campaign, reaffirmed her dream of a “where children and young people don’t have to work so hard to make their dreams come true”.
His government platform, in turn, will focus on three pillars: development driven by domestic demand, decent neighborhoods and full citizenship.
“These axes represent a commitment to reorganizing the priorities of the Chilean development model, placing the well-being of the people at the center and not the profits of a few”, states the program.
Jara’s beginnings in politics
In 1989, Jeannette Jara began her political training in the Communist Youth of Chile, where she remained active until joining the Communist Party in 1999.
Shortly before, Jara studied Public Administration at USACH (University of Santiago de Chile), where she was elected president of the Student Federation in 1997.
She also studied at the Central University of Chile, graduating in Law in 2014.
After completing her first degree, Jara worked at SII (Chile’s Internal Revenue Service) as an auditor and was also a union leader for several years.
However, her biggest success came when former President Michelle Bachelet appointed her Undersecretary of Social Security during her second term, from 2016 to 2018.
Later, Jara dedicated himself to law and university teaching. She also ran for mayor of the Conchalí district, but was unsuccessful.
With the arrival of Gabriel Boric’s government (the new Chilean left), Jara was appointed Minister of Labor and Social Security, a position from which she managed to unlock a historic project: the reduction of working hours from 45 to 40 hours per week.
Despite being a member of the Communist Party, several experts highlight his ability to negotiate agreements with the political opposition and the business sector.
Even so, she is not exempt from criticism, especially in relation to the party’s position on Maduro and the
She stated that Venezuela lives under an authoritarian regime and has gradually distanced herself from the party; she even warned that she could suspend her membership if she were elected president.
After three years, Jara left the Boric government to dedicate himself to the presidential campaign and became both traditional and progressive.
