Twenty men and nineteen women make up the cabinet of Undersecretaries that will form part of Gabriel Boric’s government from 11 March.
The team of Undersecretaries is made up of eleven independents, eight members of Revolución Democrática, six of the Communist Party, six of Convergencia Social, two of the Socialist Party, two of the Party for Democracy, one of Acción Humanista, one of Comunes, one of Fuerza Común and one of the Federación Regionalista Verde Social.
Some appointments of indigenous peoples stand out, such as the Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, Luz Vidal Huiriqueo, who worked as a domestic worker before becoming a trade union, Mapuche and feminist leader.
Long-time humanist Marilén Cabrera Olmos has been nominated as Under-Secretary of National Assets. A feminist, activist, she has been a councillor, party president and is currently the spokesperson of Acción Humanista, a current that participates in the conglomerate that will take office in the next government.
Regarding this appointment, Marilén Cabrera said: “I am very grateful for the trust given by President Gabriel Boric, it is a great challenge to meet the needs of the future government. There is so much to advance in territorial justice, especially with the demands of women settlers, for example, the regularisation of land titles, the availability of State and Armed Forces land, currently dedicated to real estate speculation instead of seeking to resolve the serious housing deficit. There is also the care and preservation of our heritage or spaces such as wetlands, free access to beaches, lakes and rivers. We will do our best”.
During the last two decades, Cabrera Olmos has been a reference in the fight against discrimination and in favour of women’s rights, always from a Siloist point of view and from her feminist trajectory and as a woman with vast leadership work and street activism. Her participation in Universalist Humanism began in the 1980s, in the midst of the anti-dictatorial and student struggle. As a social and political reference, she has never forgotten her Andean and native roots.
This is how this hopeful new government, which is putting together powerful teams and is preparing to take office in just over a month’s time, is taking shape.
