Dictator Victim, President for Chile

I m not a socialist to begin with, but I felt so happy for Chile as they elected the third female president in Latin America, Madame President Michelle Bachelet. She is also a "single mother", a term that will never be understood in the Middle East.

I am impressed by how history always take the side of democracy and freedom. This woman's father who was an air force general died in prison because of torture that led to a heart attack. She and her mom were forced to an exile in Australia and later she moved to Eastern Germany and that was when she was 22 years old. She followed the pursuit of her father as she became political prisoner at the time of Chile's dictator Augusto Pinochet. Now she is 54 years old and she is an elected President. This is a moment to be celebrated.

Photo: Chile's socialist candidate Michelle Bachelet, third from right, her mother Angela Jeria, left, her daughters Sofia, second from left, and Francisa, right, wave to supporters after winning the run-off presidential elections in Santiago, Sunday, Jan. 15, 2006. (AP Photo/Roberto Candia)