Ángela Jeria
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Ángela Margarita Jeria Gómez (22 August 1926 – 2 July 2020) was a Chilean
archaeologist Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts or ecofacts, ...
. Mother of the former
President of Chile The president of Chile (), officially the president of the Republic of Chile (), is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of Chile. The president is responsible for both Government of Chile, government administration and s ...
Michelle Bachelet Verónica Michelle Bachelet Jeria (; born 29 September 1951) is a Chilean politician who served as President of Chile from 2006 to 2010 and again from 2014 to 2018, becoming the first woman to hold the presidency. She was re-elected in December ...
, she was the wife of the
Chilean Air Force The Chilean Air Force () is the air force of Chile and branch of the Chilean military. History The first step towards the current FACh is taken by Lieutenant Colonel, Teniente Coronel training as a pilot in France. Although a local academy was c ...
Brigadier General
Alberto Bachelet Alberto Arturo Miguel Bachelet Martínez (; 27 April 1923 – 12 March 1974)dictatorship A dictatorship is an autocratic form of government which is characterized by a leader, or a group of leaders, who hold governmental powers with few to no Limited government, limitations. Politics in a dictatorship are controlled by a dictator, ...
of
Augusto Pinochet Augusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte (25 November 1915 – 10 December 2006) was a Chilean military officer and politician who was the dictator of Military dictatorship of Chile, Chile from 1973 to 1990. From 1973 to 1981, he was the leader ...
. Jeria served informally in the role of first lady during the first Bachelet government, accompanying her daughter to several official functions. Her official protocolary role was "Director of the Sociocultural Area of the Presidency".


Biography


Family and youth

Born on 22 August 1926 in
Talca Talca () is a city and commune in Chile located about south of Santiago, and is the capital of both Talca Province and Maule Region (7th Region of Chile). As of the 2012 census, the city had a population of 201,142. The city is an important ...
, Chile, Jeria Gómez was the daughter of Máximo Jeria Johnson (1892–1964) and Ángela Gómez Zamora (1893–1935). She was the granddaughter of Máximo Jeria Chacón, the first Chilean agricultural engineer. In 1945 she married
Alberto Bachelet Alberto Arturo Miguel Bachelet Martínez (; 27 April 1923 – 12 March 1974)Temuco Temuco () is a List of cities in Chile, city and Communes of Chile, commune, capital (political), capital of the Cautín Province and of the Araucanía Region in southern Chile. The city is located south of Santiago de Chile, Santiago. The cit ...
. They had two children: Alberto (13 October 1946 – 26 May 2001) and Verónica Michelle (born 29 September 1951). Jeria worked for several years for the
University of Chile The University of Chile () is a public university, public research university in Santiago, Chile. It was founded on November 19, 1842, and inaugurated on September 17, 1843.
, at the
Editorial Universitaria Editorial Universitaria is Chilean university press based in Santiago. It was established in 1947 with funds from private people and from the University of Chile. During its existence, it has published the works of generations influential Chilean sc ...
(1948–1958) and in the Office of Budget and Finances of the university. After becoming Director of Finances of the university, she decided to study
archaeology Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts or ecofacts, ...
at the same university in 1969.


Military dictatorship: widowhood and exile

Her husband was secretary of the National Direction of Supply and Commercialisation (DINAC) in the government of
Salvador Allende Salvador Guillermo Allende Gossens (26 June 1908 – 11 September 1973) was a Chilean socialist politician who served as the 28th president of Chile from 1970 until Death of Salvador Allende, his death in 1973 Chilean coup d'état, 1973. As a ...
. In 1973, he opposed the military
coup d'état A coup d'état (; ; ), or simply a coup , is typically an illegal and overt attempt by a military organization or other government elites to unseat an incumbent leadership. A self-coup is said to take place when a leader, having come to powe ...
. He was detained and tortured by some of his own Air Force comrades. Alberto Bachelet died of a heart attack in 1974, during his imprisonment in the Public Prison of Santiago. Jeria did not have the opportunity to finish her studies in archaeology because she was detained, with her daughter Michelle, and transferred to the centres of the DINA '' Villa Grimaldi'' and ''Cuatro Alamos'', where she suffered torture. After being freed and expelled from the country, Jeria lived in
exile Exile or banishment is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons ...
in
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
, where she began activist work against the military dictatorship of Pinochet, traveling to
Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
,
Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...
and the
Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
. She also lived in the
German Democratic Republic East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from Foundation of East Germany, its formation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on ...
to stay with her daughter Michelle, who was studying medicine at
Humboldt University The Humboldt University of Berlin (, abbreviated HU Berlin) is a public university, public research university in the central borough of Mitte in Berlin, Germany. The university was established by Frederick William III of Prussia, Frederick W ...
in
Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
, Germany. There she worked as an assistant at a center of prehistory and archaeology. In 1977, Jeria traveled to
Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
to testify on human rights violations in Chile, following the murder of Orlando Letelier.


Return to Chile and public role

In 1979, Jeria went back to Chile with her family and started to work for human rights organisations. She was detained several times for participating in demonstrations against the military regime. In 1990, she resumed her studies of archaeology at the University of Chile, but abandoned them before graduating. Her granddaughter, Francisca Dávalos Bachelet, followed in her footsteps and studied archaeology at the same university, where she graduated in 2005. In 2006, Jeria's daughter Michelle became the first woman to be elected
president of Chile The president of Chile (), officially the president of the Republic of Chile (), is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of Chile. The president is responsible for both Government of Chile, government administration and s ...
. On 21 November 2007, Jeria was awarded the "Medal University Senate" for her work at the
University of Chile The University of Chile () is a public university, public research university in Santiago, Chile. It was founded on November 19, 1842, and inaugurated on September 17, 1843.
. In October 2009, Jeria publicly supported the presidential candidacy of
Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle Eduardo Alfredo Juan Bernardo Frei Ruiz–Tagle (; born 24 June 1942) is a Chilean politician and civil engineering, civil engineer who served as president of Chile from 1994 to 2000. He was also a Senate of Chile, Senator, fulfilling the role of ...
. In 2013, she supported the second presidential candidacy of her daughter Michelle. Jeria received the prize "Monseñor Leonidas Proaño" for contributions to the defense of human rights in the region.


Death

On 3 July 2020, the Chilean air force announced that Jeria Gómez had died at the age of 93. She had earlier been admitted into a military hospital on 1 July in a "delicate state of health", though her illness was not specified.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jeria, Angela University of Chile alumni Chilean archaeologists Chilean people of Spanish descent Chilean people of Basque descent Chilean people of Greek descent Chilean people of English descent 1926 births 2020 deaths People from Talca Chilean women archaeologists Chilean torture victims