Ángela Jeria facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ángela Jeria
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| Born |
Ángela Margarita Jeria Gómez
22 August 1926 |
| Died | 2 July 2020 (aged 93) |
| Spouse(s) | Alberto Bachelet |
| Children | Michelle Bachelet |
| Awards | Monseñor Leonidas Proaño |
| Academic background | |
| Alma mater | University of Chile |
| Academic work | |
| Institutions | University of Chile |
| Main interests | Archaeology |
Ángela Margarita Jeria Gómez (born August 22, 1926 – died July 2, 2020) was a Chilean archaeologist. She was the mother of Michelle Bachelet, who became the President of Chile. Ángela was married to Alberto Bachelet, a general in the Chilean Air Force. He sadly died while imprisoned during the time when Augusto Pinochet ruled Chile as a dictator. Ángela Jeria often helped her daughter Michelle with official duties when Michelle was president. She was known as the "Director of the Sociocultural Area of the Presidency."
Contents
About Ángela Jeria
Early Life and Family
Ángela Jeria Gómez was born on August 22, 1926, in Talca, Chile. Her parents were Máximo Jeria Johnson and Ángela Gómez Zamora. Her grandfather, Máximo Jeria Chacón, was famous for being the first agricultural engineer in Chile.
In 1945, Ángela married Alberto Bachelet in Temuco. They had two children: Alberto and Verónica Michelle.
Ángela worked for many years at the University of Chile. She worked at the university's publishing house from 1948 to 1958. Later, she worked in the university's budget and finance office. In 1969, after becoming the Director of Finances, she decided to study archaeology at the same university.
Life During the Military Government
Ángela's husband, Alberto Bachelet, worked for the government of President Salvador Allende. In 1973, there was a military takeover in Chile. Alberto Bachelet did not support this new military government. He was arrested and held by some of his own Air Force colleagues.
Sadly, Alberto Bachelet died in 1974 from a heart attack while he was imprisoned. Ángela Jeria could not finish her archaeology studies because she was also arrested. She and her daughter Michelle were taken to detention centers.
After being released, Ángela was sent out of the country. She lived in Australia for a while. There, she started working to oppose the military government led by Pinochet. She traveled to countries like Mexico, Cuba, and the Soviet Union to speak out. She also lived in East Germany to be with her daughter Michelle, who was studying medicine in Berlin. In East Germany, Ángela worked as an assistant at a center for prehistory and archaeology.
In 1977, Ángela Jeria went to Washington, D.C. She spoke about the human rights problems happening in Chile.
Returning to Chile and Public Role
In 1979, Ángela Jeria returned to Chile with her family. She began working with groups that supported human rights. She was arrested several times for joining protests against the military government.
In 1990, she went back to study archaeology at the University of Chile. However, she left before graduating. Her granddaughter, Francisca Dávalos Bachelet, later studied archaeology at the same university and graduated in 2005.
In 2006, Ángela's daughter, Michelle Bachelet, made history. She became the first woman to be elected president of Chile. On November 21, 2007, Ángela Jeria received the "Medal University Senate" award. This award recognized her work at the University of Chile.
Ángela Jeria also supported political campaigns. In 2009, she publicly supported Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle for president. In 2013, she supported her daughter Michelle's second run for president.
Ángela Jeria received the "Monseñor Leonidas Proaño" prize. This award honored her efforts in defending human rights in the region.
Later Years
On July 3, 2020, the Chilean air force announced that Ángela Jeria Gómez had passed away. She was 93 years old. She had been admitted to a military hospital a few days earlier in a delicate state of health.
See also
In Spanish: Ángela Jeria para niños
