Michelle Bachelet is the president of Chile. She has been a member of the Inter-American Dialogue since 2010 and served as co-chair of the Board of Directors. Imprisoned and tortured under the Pinochet dictatorship, Bachelet was released into exile in 1975, living in Australia before moving to East Germany, where she studied at the Humboldt University of Berlin. In 1979, she returned to Chile and completed her medical degree. After Pinochet was ousted from power in 1990, Bachelet became active in politics, particularly in the medical and military fields. In 1994, she was appointed an adviser to Chile’s minister for health and elected to the central committee of the Socialist Party. In 2000, Bachelet was appointed minister of health. Two year later, she was reappointed minister of defense, becoming the first woman to hold that position. Bachelet was elected the first female president of Chile in 2006. After leaving office, she was named the first head of UN Women, resigning only in 2013 to run again for president. Bachelet again took office in 2014.

Bachelet is currently on leave from the Dialogue until the end of her term.