Bachelet Shuffles Cabinet

Chile’s president, Michelle Bachelet has shuffled her cabinet just four months after appointing the new government. Bachelet has suffered from a sharp drop in opinion polls following student protests in May and recent floods, attracting heavy criticism of her education minister and interior minister. Alejandro Ferreiro takes over from Ingrid Antonijevic as head of the economy ministry; Belisario Velasco replaces interior minister Andrés Zaldívar; and Yasna Provoste becomes the new education minister, replacing Martín Zilic. Ferreiro, a lawyer with extensive experience in the area of regulation, headed up Chile’s securities regulator until earlier this year. Velasco brings the experience of having served in two previous administrations as deputy interior minister under presidents Patricio Aylwin and Eduardo Frei. Provoste also has ministerial experience and is seen as a safe pair of hands.