Izkia Siches facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Izkia Siches
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Siches in 2022
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| Minister of the Interior and Public Security | |
| In office 11 March 2022 – 6 September 2022 |
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| President | Gabriel Boric |
| Preceded by | Rodrigo Delgado |
| Succeeded by | Carolina Tohá |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Izkia Jasvin Siches Pastén
4 March 1986 Arica, Chile |
| Spouse | Christian Antonio Yaksic Zúñiga |
| Education | Instituto Bernardo O’Higgins de Maipú |
| Alma mater | University of Chile |
Izkia Jasvin Siches Pastén (born 4 March 1986) is a Chilean doctor and politician. In 2022, she served as the Minister of Interior and Public Security for President Gabriel Boric. She was the first woman to hold this important job. It is the second most powerful position in the government, right after the President.
Before this, Siches was the president of the Chilean Medical College. This is a very important group for doctors in Chile. In 2021, she also helped lead Gabriel Boric's successful campaign to become president.
Contents
Early Life and Education
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Izkia Siches was born on March 4, 1986, in Arica, a city in northern Chile. She grew up in Maipú, which is part of the Santiago Metropolitan Region. She went to high school at the Instituto Bernardo O'Higgins in Maipú.
In 2004, she started studying medicine at the University of Chile. During her time at university, she was active in student groups. She was part of the University Senate from 2010 to 2012. She also led the student center for the School of Medicine West Campus. She helped start a journal called Hippocampus: Where memory is stored, dreams arise.
Medical Career and Leadership
After becoming a surgeon, Izkia Siches chose to specialize in internal medicine. She also began studying for a master's degree in public health. Since 2014, she has worked at San Juan de Dios Hospital in Quinta Normal. There, she helps people with infectious diseases.
In 2014, Siches became the president of the Santiago Regional Council of the Chilean Medical College. This is a group that represents doctors. In 2017, she was chosen to be the overall president of the Chilean Medical College. She was the first woman to hold this position. She said that her medical group included doctors with many different political ideas. She wanted to focus on helping doctors and patients, not on politics.
Role During the COVID-19 Pandemic
When the COVID-19 pandemic in Chile started in 2020, Izkia Siches played a very important role. As the head of the Medical College, she gave advice on how to control the virus. She often questioned how the government was handling the crisis. This sometimes led to disagreements with government officials.
During the pandemic, many people trusted her. She became one of the most popular public figures in Chile. Some people even thought she might run for president. However, she said she did not have enough experience for that job. She supported Gabriel Boric's campaign for president.
In December 2020, she ran for reelection as president of the Chilean Medical College. Many doctors voted, and Siches won again.
In 2020, she was named "Person of the Year" by a group of international journalists in Chile. They said she had become a very important figure who earned a lot of public trust. In 2021, Time magazine included her on its list of 100 rising stars who are shaping the future. She also received an award for "Exceptional Women of Excellence" in March 2021.
In June 2021, Siches suggested that the whole country should go into a complete lockdown to stop the virus. Some politicians did not agree with her idea.
Minister of the Interior and Public Security
Izkia Siches left her role at the Chilean Medical College in November 2021. She joined Gabriel Boric's presidential campaign for the second round of the election. Boric won the election, and Siches was seen as a key reason for his victory. Her visits to the northern parts of Chile helped Boric get more votes there.
On March 11, 2022, President Gabriel Boric appointed Siches as the Minister of the Interior and Public Security. This was a special moment because she was the first woman to ever hold this position in Chile.
In March 2022, Siches visited Temucuicui, an area where many Mapuche people live. During her visit, there was an incident involving gunfire, and she had to leave the area quickly. She had planned to meet with the family of Camilo Catrillanca, a Mapuche activist who was killed by police in 2018. A local Mapuche leader, Victor Queipul, later said that her visit did not follow traditional Mapuche customs. After this event, some of her advisors resigned.
In April 2022, Siches made a mistake when she said that the previous government was responsible for a failed deportation event. She later said sorry to the former minister, Rodrigo Delgado, for her false statements.
On September 6, 2022, it was announced that Carolina Tohá would replace Siches as Minister of the Interior. Before this change, surveys showed that Siches had lower approval ratings compared to other government ministers.
Personal Life
Izkia Siches is married to Christian Antonio Yaksic Zúñiga. In 2021, while she was leading the Chilean Medical College, she gave birth to her daughter, Khala.
She believes in feminism, which means she supports equal rights for women. As president of the Medical College, she often spoke about respecting women's rights and achieving gender equality. She also took part in events like International Women's Day.
After leaving her government role, she went back to work at San Juan de Dios Hospital. This was because the public health system had paid for her medical training, and she was required to work there for another year.
See also
In Spanish: Izkia Siches para niños
