The elected mayor of the Santiago commune, Irací Hassler, does not respond to the traditional coordinates of Chilean politics.
The economist of 30 years, who will take office on 28 of June, has a Tupi-Guarani name, a surname of Swiss origin and is the first communist militant in office.
Her mother is Brazilian and her father, a right-wing businessman, as she herself has described it.
Her triumph marked one of the most heartfelt defeats of the governing coalition of Sebastián Piñera : that of the mayor Felipe Alessandri, part of a family that since the beginning of the 20th century has counted two presidents of the Republic and a permanent presence in the Congress and business leadership.
Hassler celebrated his election last 16 May posing with the eight feminist and leftist women who will be part of her municipal council cipal; dancing in the streets with jeans and Abba’s “Voulez Vou” mask, and touring the markets with a Frida Kahlo backpack on her back, thanking the support obtained at the polls.
“I think there is much hope today in the changes. Although there has been a lot of abuse in Chile, and this generates a very deep malaise, there is also hope, and there I believe that youth arises as a possibility to re-enchant the citizens ”he tells BBC Mundo.
How important is your communist militancy in this process?
The Santiago process has to do with a citizen process for the articulation of political and social unity.
I say this because the Communist Party is part of this project, but it is not the only one; there are parties and social organizations, neighborhoods, women, heritage, migrants, workers, education communities that come together in a common project.
I believe that the Communist Party and The communist leaderships have managed to generate a closeness with the community and show that we can have steps that are also transformative, as has been the case of Recoleta, for example.
Initiatives such as popular pharmacy, optics or Real estate companies have been able to change what was understood as municipal management, from a very limited way, to an instance where they can effectively transform people’s lives.
( Hassler refers to the municipality led by Daniel Jadue, reelected mayor and presidential candidate of the Communist Party, who promoted initiatives such as the popular pharmacy , imitated in municipalities of different political signs, to lower the price of medicines to people onas of the commune ) .
Hassler celebrating his victory. ¿ H has also changed what is Did you understand a communist mayor’s office?
I think we have had the opportunity to show what a communist mayor can do in some cases; In our case, this will also be with a citizen process.
One of the campaign phrases of the Communist Party in Chile is “without fear” . What do you mean?
I think that especially women have said: we do not have to be afraid to walk quietly through our streets, we do not have to be afraid to live more with dignity, to put issues on the table, to also be able to transform a model that has been tremendously exclusive.
I believe that today we have a historic opportunity and we can make of this opportunity a transformation that dignifies daily life.
Do you think that this message could be valid for others countries, like Colombia, Peru? Do you feel any relationship with other Latin American processes?
The truth is that I am doomed to the commune of Santiago.
I am elected mayor, facing a tremendous challenge and what I can tell you is that in the case of Santiago, we do have the conviction that we can carry out a process of transformation that we have never had the possibility of doing before.
Do you think there is a modern communism?
As a communist militant, I think of communism from our neighborhoods, from everyday life, from the struggles to live better.
I believe that communist and feminist views today propose the emancipation of human beings, and that we and we are doomed to do from a collective construction, from a construction what is capable of cue To run a model in our country and we want to give ourselves the possibility, for the first time, as neighbors, of being able to build it here in Santiago.
For me today, the military means being part of those processes of transformation with conviction and strength and with what touches us from each of the neighborhoods of the Santiago commune.
A Frida Kahlo backpack accompanied her throughout the campaign. What images, colors, or faces are part of your political, cultural or symbolic domicile?
Frida Kahlo’s backpack accompanied me for various reasons. As a reference for art, culture, politics, communism, feminism, she is very interesting to me.
But the backpack also represents the artisans of our commune: that backpack was made by the artisan Olga Kostic, therefore for me it also means revealing the arts and crafts that are developed in the commune of Santiago.
The lilac, green, red colors are part of our struggles and our referents and joy, hope, and diversity as a fundamental element.
I believe that communist women, women of the left, women of the feminist movement in Chile have made much progress in sorority, in support, in accompaniment, in which the advances and achievements of others are also our achievements.
What would you say to the migrant population of the commune of Santiago?
Santiago is a very diverse commune in terms of its neighborhoods, its interests. Of the actors and actresses that live here: 600. 000 people, plus two million and means that come every day to our commune, which is also a diverse commune in terms of Chileans, migrants, native peoples, different ages and different interests.
I would very much like our mayor’s office to be able to reflect that diversity and to be able to ensure that the diversity of Santiago is expressed with the best coexistence.
I think there is a very great precariousness in the commune of Santiago, a historical abandonment: abusive subletting, overcrowding, hunger, which today has been solved especially through the common pots, the solidarity of the people.
And I say this because it is a reality faced by the entire community in Chile: the migrant community and also the Chilean community. For them, our message, our work is for citizenship rights. Regardless of our origin or immigration status, to be able to advance in having better living conditions, for everyone.
We hope and we will have a much more present and active municipality.
As I have told the neighbors and the campaign, and now as elected mayor, a single mayor will not be able to make all the changes we want, but if we do it with the organized community I am sure that we are going to improve our quality of life.
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