Rice Congratulates Chile’s New President
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice offered congratulations Saturday to Chile’s first female president, a socialist taking office more than three decades after a U.S.-linked coup that ousted the country’s elected leftist leader. The inauguration of Michelle Bachelet, a former health and defense minister, represented the triumph of democracy over a troubled history, Rice said. The two met for about 30 minutes in this port city about 75 miles northwest of Santiago, but made no public comments afterward. At the swearing-in ceremony, Rice sat next to Mexico’s foreign relations minister, Luis Derbez. Full Story