Beatriz Sánchez
Beatriz Sánchez was born in 1970 and has a degree in journalism from the University of Concepción. Much of Sanchez’s career has been as a radio journalist; she has worked on several regional and national stations and is the co-founder of one. In her broadcasts, Sanchez has often focused on issues including corruption, gender inequality and democracy.
In 2014, Sánchez published a book titled “Poderosas”, based on eight interviews with women leaders in Chile. In an interview from 2017, Sanchez identified herself as “left-wing, but a very democratic left”, who emphasises the importance of discussion as a way of reaching agreements. The political alliance of which she is leader, Frente Amplio, is a coalition of left-wing parties and political movements, as well as liberals and other groups attempting to overcome the bipartisan tenor of Chilean politics.
“There is a super clear perception of the existing roles in Chile,” says Sánchez. “When I declare myself a feminist, it is because I would love to re-think the role of women. Today, all childcare, the elderly, and people with disabilities are on the shoulders of women.”
On the topic of LGBTQ rights, Sánchez has commented, “The State cannot tell you who should you love and with whom you want to from a family, I think it takes a lot of education on this topic. (…) I think that currently there is a huge gap in our educational system and these issues should be discussed regularly.”
She has also stated that “…culture must be embedded in the educational system. We have to know how to recognize ourselves and to know who we are and what makes us different.”
“I declare myself as a candidate for a feminist presidency (…) I would also like men to declare themselves feminist in order to change the roles.”
“The concentration of wealth is one of the highest in Latin America. [The rich should] pay fair taxes. I don’t want them not to earn money, but to pay fair taxes.”
On the question of abortion, Sánchez has stated that “I believe that abortion should be a women’s right. I believe in the complete decriminalization of abortion and I also believe in a health system that guarantees abortion in the best possible conditions for all women. In that I believe absolutely and I would like to be able to promote it.”
The five pillars of Sánchez’s political program are health, pensions, work, education and decentralization. As with the other presidential candidates, the agenda is predominantly domestic, with relatively little reference made to international affairs or Chile’s role in the world.
