Chile Elections 2021: Who is Yasna Provoste, the only woman candidate and hope of the center-left?

Historical figure of the Christian Democracy and the only woman competing for the Presidency of Chile In the November 21 elections: Yasna Provoste, of Diaguita indigenous descent, has become the last hope of a diminished center-left.

Woman of strong character and hardened politician, Provoked He has been in the public sphere for 25 of his 51 years, almost the same as his historic coalition, the old Concertación, reformulated as New Social Pact for these elections and that power was shared with the right after the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet (1973-1990).

The bloc, made up of traditional progressive parties such as the Christian Democracy or the Socialist Party, has been in the doldrums since the last presidential elections and in the shadow of an incipient and more renewed left that is embodied by Gabriel Boric, the deputy and former student leader who heads many polls.

Her dialogue style and her strong commitment to decentralization and feminism make her Provoked in a good candidate to reverse the decline of his coalition, according to analysts.

The center-left suffered a strong setback in the historic constituents last May and won only 25 of the 155 seats in the convention that is writing the new constitution.

DECENTRALIZATION AND FEMINISM

Vallenar, his hometown, has been the “mecca” of his campaign: from this small northern town he has given several speeches as a symbol of his commitment to decentralize the country, an increasingly frequent cry.

“Being here (in Vallenar) is not by chance (…) We make this statement because we want all the communes to be shown and for Chile to be a different country”, stated when he launched his candidacy.

The third place is disputed with Sebastián Sichel, a former colleague on the Christian Democratic bench and the current candidate of the ruling party, although the scenario is still very open since it is estimated that the undecided represent more than 50% of the voters, according to the Center for Public Studies (CEP).

Ahead, they would be Boric and the far right Jose Antonio KastWhile in the queue would be the controversial liberal economist Franco Parisi, the progressive Marco Enríquez-Ominami and Eduardo Artés, from the extreme left movement Unión Patriótica.

Provoste’s candidacy has picked up slightly in recent weeks and has been the subject of countless anecdotes. The last when she posted a video doing a handstand (handstand), which earned her a public response from the Romanian gymnastics champion Nadia Comaneci.

He was also the subject of memes when he used the Wikipedia platform as a source of information during a debate to accuse Sichel of being a “lobbyist”.

“EVIL MINOR” FOR THE RIGHT

Some see in her similarities with the socialist Michelle Bachelet, president in the periods 2006-2010 and 2014-2018: both come from the same coalition, have a strong institutional spirit and an articulating role that manages to convene all political sectors, with a transforming agenda under your arm.

Provoste, gymnast and Physical Education teacher, also shares a long political career with Bachelet. She was a regional and provincial leader, senator, deputy and twice minister, first of Planning and then of Education.

Her last position was that of president of the Senate, which she held until last August and which she used as a speaker to promote human rights and causes such as free abortion or equal marriage, even going against loud voices from her party.

During the pandemic, she led the negotiation of a social aid agenda with the current government, under the conservative Sebastián Piñera, which catapulted her to the podium of the best valued and popular political figures in the country.

Now, it is even seen by conservatives as a “lesser evil” because of its moderation. In oblivion it seems that the episode in which she was dismissed as Minister of Education in 2008 due to a questioned political trial promoted by the right, which accused her of irregularities in school subsidies, remained.

“Rebuild to heal” is the motto of his program, which refers to the challenges facing the country after the social crisis of 2019, a wave of massive protests that shook the foundations of one of the most stable countries in the region.

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