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Jeanette Jara is a coalition Communist who wants to be Chile's next president
Jeanette Jara is a coalition Communist who wants to be Chile's next president

Reuters

time13 hours ago

  • Politics
  • Reuters

Jeanette Jara is a coalition Communist who wants to be Chile's next president

SANTIAGO, July 22 (Reuters) - Saddled with an unpopular incumbent president, Chile's left has made a bold choice to contest a resurgent right in November's election - Jeanette Jara, a member of the Communist Party. Jara, who was chosen by voters last month to be the candidate for the ruling Unity for Chile coalition, told Reuters she plans to win over skeptical voters by championing her track record of pushing through popular legislation on pensions and a reduced workweek under President Gabriel Boric. But Jara still faces an uphill battle, encumbered by Boric's unpopularity and her own party affiliation in a country that remains haunted by the Augusto Pinochet dictatorship that followed the 1973 coup against democratically elected Marxist president Salvador Allende. "I think a lot of stories about the (Communist Party) stem from the Cold War and aren't representative of the current situation," Jara said in an interview. "In Chile we have a profound commitment to democracy and respect for institutional norms." Jara joined the party as a student leader in the 1990s and bounced between government and the private sector. Before serving as Boric's labor minister, Jara worked in several ministries under center-left former president Michelle Bachelet. In the primary vote, the charismatic 51-year-old Jara beat out three other candidates, including the presumptive favorite. She benefited from her popularity with younger voters and vows to build a broad coalition. "We were looking at a situation where there was no competition or representative leadership to build a broad view under a single candidate and I thought I could contribute that," Jara said. Speaking to Reuters outside her small, plant-filled, yellow-brick home in Santiago on Friday, Jara said she is seeking to emphasize her pragmatism and dealmaking, noting her leadership role in legislation that reduced the workweek to 40 hours and reformed pensions. "I didn't do it alone, I did it hand-in-hand with workers and Chilean business owners to come to an agreement," Jara said. "We have experience, we don't have all the answers - nobody is infallible. But we have an ability to govern the country with the reforms it needs." Opinion polls show that Jara is likely to make it to a run-off, but most scenarios have her losing to a right-wing candidate in the second round. Chile's presidential elections are slated for November 16 and will go to a run-off in December if no candidate receives a majority. Jara said her campaign would have three pillars: economic growth, social issues and public safety. She said she wants to focus on matters that impact a majority of Chileans, such as job creation and recurring questions over income inequality, which triggered widespread protests in 2019. "We can't keep having two Chiles in the same country, one for well-off sectors and other for the vast majority," she said. She said she would also seek to address crime. While Chile remains one of the safest countries in Latin America, an influx of organized crime has led to a rising murder rate and hurt economic growth, with a recent spike in high-profile incidents like kidnappings and assassinations. But she blasted hardline proposals like building border walls or placing landmines along the border that have been suggested by some right-wing candidates, who have blamed the rising crime on increasing numbers of migrants. "While some shout louder or have ideas that aren't grounded in reality, I trust citizens' ability to evaluate proposals that could lead to solutions," Jara said, adding that she would seek to increase funding for the police and introduce biometric screening at the border. "None of this is an easy fix," she said. As the world's largest copper producer and one of the largest lithium producers, Chile's economy relies heavily on mining. Boric has sought to boost lithium production with a joint venture between state-run copper giant Codelco and local lithium miner SQM. But the deal has faced opposition from right-wing candidates, Indigenous groups and Jara herself. "I don't agree with an agreement with (SQM) that would extend their lithium concession by 30 years," Jara said, citing a campaign finance scandal in 2015 and SQM's sale to Pinochet's son-in-law during the dictatorship. "If Boric closes the deal during his government I'll respect it. If not, I'll propose a national public company to operate alongside the private sector like Codelco with copper," she said. U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened heavy tariffs on copper and Jara said in response that she would focus on strengthening trade with Latin America, China and others. "We recently signed a trade agreement with India that I hope to expand and strengthen," Jara said. Relations with the United States would remain diplomatic and cordial under her government if she were elected, she said, adding: "We have to act prudently to safeguard our national interest."

Gurugram shuts ‘illegal' schools, students' transfer underway
Gurugram shuts ‘illegal' schools, students' transfer underway

Hindustan Times

time07-05-2025

  • Politics
  • Hindustan Times

Gurugram shuts ‘illegal' schools, students' transfer underway

The district education department has initiated a crackdown on unrecognised schools being run by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) across various parts of the city after the department identified such schools operating without valid recognition across four NGOs in Sector 46, Choma, Nathupur, and DLF Phase 1—where more than 1,000 students from Class 1 to Class 5 were being taught in violation of government norms—on Monday. (Representative images) The department is also initiating action against private schools that failed to admit students from economically weaker sections as mandated under the right to education (RTE) act, officials said. (Getty Images/iStockphoto) Despite directives from the directorate of education mandating the closure of all unrecognised schools, several NGOs continued running informal schools, prompting swift administrative intervention. The department has begun transferring affected students to nearby government schools. District education officer (DEO) Indu Bokan said the data of 399 students from an NGO-run school operating within a government school in DLF Phase 4 has already been uploaded to the state's management information system (MIS) portal. Similar steps are being taken in other areas, officials added. 'Schools running without a no objection certificate (NOC) are being shut down, and students are being admitted to recognised government institutions to ensure they do not suffer academically,' Bokan said. Officials, however, did not specify any timeline for how soon the affected students will be accommodated in government schools. 'The education being provided in these schools is not up to standard, and any certificates or degrees issued by them will not be considered valid,' said an official from the Education Department. 'Parents must be cautious and ensure their children are only enrolled in government-recognised schools.' According to district education officials, a public advisory has been issued urging parents to verify a school's recognition status. Principals have been directed not to collaborate with NGOs without formal approvals. Officials warned of strict legal action—including FIRs, fines, and arrests—if any unrecognised school resumes operations. However, officials said that no legal actions have been taken against the schools for flouting recognition norms in the first place. The department is also initiating action against private schools that failed to admit students from economically weaker sections as mandated under the Right to Education (RTE) Act, officials said.

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