History of Chile him to Spain. Thereafter, Pinochet returned to Chile in March 2000. Upon descending the plane on his wheelchair, he stood up and saluted the cheering crowd of supporters, including an army band playing his favorite military march tunes, which was awaiting him at the airport in Santiago. President Ricardo Lagos later commented that the retired general's televised arrival had damaged the image of Chile, while thousands demonstrated against him. The "Concertación" coalition has continued to dominate Chilean politics for last two decades. In January 2006 Chileans elected their first woman president, Michelle Bachelet, of the Socialist Party. She was sworn
Ministry of the Interior and Public Security (Chile) Salaberry. In the absence (because of travel, death, or other impediment) of the President of Chile, the Minister of the Interior becomes Vice President; however this is not a true Vice Presidential position, but rather a position of a Designated Acting President, as the post of Vice President of Chile has no existence independent from the Ministership of the Interior. During the first days of the independence movements, the senior "secretary" of the respective Junta would function as the "Secretary of Government". The office officially first came to be on October 27, 1812, when it was one of the two