Michelle Bachelet was elected as Chile's president again on Sunday in a landslide victory that hands the center-leftist the mandate she sought to push ahead with wide-reaching reforms. Bachelet won with about 62 percent support, the highest proportion of votes any presidential candidate has obtained since Chile returned to holding democratic elections in 1989.

Elections matter. And in the coming year Latin America will see no less than eight scheduled elections for president. From Honduras to Chile, the hemisphere faces a collective referendum on the ability of governments to recharge economic growth while meeting the increasing social demands of the people.

If you have a compelling start-up idea, the Chilean government will give you $40,000 to move there and build it. The Chilean embassy in your country will grant you a one-year visa within days. When you arrive in Chile, you’ll have free offices, fast Wi-Fi, unlimited coffee and croissants, and a community of intrepid friends. Not surprisingly, the Chilean program has received thousands of applications from entrepreneurs worldwide.

Forty years ago, a military coup overthrew the leftist government in Chile. President Salvador Allende was killed, and thousands were arrested and tortured. Many died in prison, among them an army general loyal to Allende, Alberto Bachelet. His wife and daughter were also tortured and forced into exile - first to Australia and then to Germany. The daughter, Michelle Bachelet, was elected president of Chile in 2006.

As is always the case, the closer you get to an issue, the more complex it is. Chileans are arguing about how to make their society a more equitable one. Peruvians worry about a pause in the country’s spectacular growth, and public opinion polls show that Peruvians think corruption is the biggest challenge facing the country. The Colombian government is both negotiating with the FARC and dealing with an agrarian sector that feels it has been left out of the boom.

In solidarity with victims of the 1973 coup in Chile, Amnesty International is calling for silence following the country's first goal in its match against Venezuela at National Stadium Friday. In 1973, days after the September 11 coup, about 12,000 suspected leftists were shepherded into the National Stadium, where they were interrogated and tortured...Thousands online are using #goldelsilencio ("silent goal") to discuss the campaign, causing "Chile" to trend worldwide.

Chile is in the final stages of being accepted into the United States Visa Waiver Program (VWP), only waiting for the on-site visit from the Department of Homeland Security to confirm that all the pieces are in order. If accepted, Chile will be the first Latin American country in this program, currently including some 37 countries worldwide. The United States has several motives in this action, but appears to be rewarding Chile for its adherence to neoliberal economic principles by opening up to globalized trade.

The Journal of Chilean Diplomatic Academy, ‘Diplomacia’ has recently published various essays on famous writers who were also successful diplomats. The content is not only valuable for its biographic details but it could additionally open a topic that needs to be developed further by writers and diplomats.