Wonder Woman of the Week: Michelle Bachelet

Michelle Bachelet’s life mirrors the turbulent political landscapes of modern Chile, shaped by exile, resilience, and a commitment to public service forged under pressure. Born in 1951 in Santiago, she was raised in a military family, an irony that would later define her path. After the 1973 coup that brought Augusto Pinochet to power, Bachelet’s father, an air force general loyal to the deposed president, was imprisoned and died following torture. Bachelet and her mother were detained and later forced into exile, experiences that carried her across continents and into medical school in East Germany. There, she trained as a pediatrician, absorbing lessons about both human vulnerability and the far-reaching consequences of state power.