In Chile, a niece of Pinochet at the Ministry of Women's Rights

"We don't have a minister!" It is the rallying cry of feminists in Chile since the appointment, Wednesday, May 6, of Macarena Santelices to the Ministry of Women's Rights. The latter is none other than the grand-niece of the former dictator Augusto Pinochet (1974-1990).

On social networks, the hashtag #NoTemenosMinistra has been one of the trends since his appointment and brings together several calls for resignation.

The controversy over the appointment of Macarena Santelices by President Sebastian Piñera (conservative right) comes mainly from an interview in 2016 in which she praised the "good sides" of the dictatorship of 1973-1990. Period during which at least 3,000 people have been murdered or the army has disappeared while more than 30,000 people have been imprisoned and tortured.

During this period, at least 316 women, including 11 pregnant women, were tortured by the army, recalls the national commission on political prisoners and torture.

Outreach of feminist associations

"We express our absolute disagreement with the appointment of Macarena Santelices as minister responsible for women's rights. The one who promotes the dictatorship cannot defend women, who have historically suffered particular violence from the 'State, simply because they were women,' tweeted a group of feminist lawyers.

Manifestamos absoluto descontento ante nombramiento de Macarena Santelices para @MinMujeryEG. Quien hace apología de dictadura difícilmente será idónea a la hora de defender a mujeres, quienes históricamente han sufrido violencia especial por parte de Estado, solo por ser mujeres pic.twitter.com/Y1SXvxlscm

"The signal from the government sent by Sebastian Piñera in appointing a supporter of the dictatorship, Macarena Santelices, as Minister for Women - although she has no experience in the matter - is clear: the lives of women do not exist. is not a priority and human rights either ", notes the Chilean network against violence against women.

Señal del @GobiernodeChile from @sebastianpinera al numar a simpatizante de la dictadura, Macarena Santelices, ministra de la mujer -quien no tiene experiencia en esta materia- es clara: la vida de las mujeres no son prioridad y obviously los los DDHH tampoco #NoTenem

"Against pinochetism and xenophobia by Macarena Santelices, recently appointed by the government to be minister for women, we will not be silent. We demand her immediate resignation!", Calls feminist activist Javiera Manzi, coordinator of the March 8 movement.

Contra el pinochetismo y la xenofobia de Macarena Santelices, recién nombrada por el gobierno para el @MinMujeryEG, no nos calla nadie. Exigimos revocación inmediata!
#NoTenemosMinistra @ Coordinadora8m pic.twitter.com/EdBJkn3et9

Macarena Santelices wants to be judged on her actions

Macarena Santelices, a journalist by training, worked for several national media before being elected mayor of Olmué in 2012, a small town not far from the capital Santiago. Since October 2019, she has been directing the Valparaíso region with the label UDI, a party founded in 1983 with the stated aim of preserving the political and economic gains of the dictatorship.

As she took office Wednesday, Macarena Santelices denied ever having "supported or justified human rights violations. She asked that she be judged" on her actions from this day on ".

She replaces Isabel Pla, who had resigned citing "personal wear and tear" in this position when she also came under criticism from feminist movements. The position remained vacant 54 days before the arrival of Macarena Santelices.

"This appointment is a blatant provocation and demonstrates the government's complete disregard for what the Chilean feminist movement demands," Romina Parada, co-founder of the feminist collective Baila Capucha Baila, told The Guardian. "Regarding our collective, we still do not have a minister for women's rights and gender equality"

These controversies surrounding the post of Minister responsible for Women's Rights come as feminist activism gains strength each year in Chile. On March 8, more than a million women marched in Santiago on International Women's Rights Day.

Impresiones de la multitudinaria marcha # 8M2020 en Santiago, #Chile 🇨🇱
¡No somos histéricas, somos históricas! pic.twitter.com/KnBEK4cFoc

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