Yasna Provoste
Encyclopedia
Yasna Provoste Campillay (born December 16, 1969) is a Chile
an teacher and Christian Democrat
politician. She is the first minister
to be impeached
by Congress since democracy returned to Chile in 1990.
, north of Chile
, to a family of Diaguita
descent. At the age of nine she was a national champion in gymnastics, for which she received a scholarship to study at the women's boarding school
in Santiago
. Back in Vallenar she switched to athletics, becoming a pentathlon
champion.
Provoste majored in physical education
at the Playa Ancha University of Educational Sciences in Valparaíso
. She pursued postgrad studies in education administration at the same university, and in local government and decentralization in Colombia
. During her university years she was twice president of the student board and was a member of the student's federation.
During the Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle
administration Provoste was the Atacama Region
director of the National Women's Service (1996-97) and governor of the Huasco Province
(1997-2001). During President Ricardo Lagos
's tenure she was intendant of the Atacama Region
(2001-04), minister of Planning (2004-06) and, during Michelle Bachelet
's presidency, National Executive Director of Integra Foundation (2006) and minister of Education (2006-08).
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
an teacher and Christian Democrat
Christian Democrat Party of Chile
The Christian Democratic Party is a political party in Chile and governs as part of the Coalition of Parties for Democracy coalition. In the 2009 election it won 19 congress seats and 9 senate seats....
politician. She is the first minister
Minister (government)
A minister is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. Senior ministers are members of the cabinet....
to be impeached
Impeachment
Impeachment is a formal process in which an official is accused of unlawful activity, the outcome of which, depending on the country, may include the removal of that official from office as well as other punishment....
by Congress since democracy returned to Chile in 1990.
Education and political career
Provoste was born in VallenarVallenar
Vallenar is a city and commune in Atacama Region, Chile. It is the capital of the Huasco Province and is located in the valley of the Huasco River. Vallenar has 47,000 inhabitants. Its main activities are farming and mining...
, north of Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, to a family of Diaguita
Diaguita
The Diaguita, also called Diaguita-Calchaquí, are a group of South American indigenous peoples. The Diaguita culture developed between the 8th and 16th centuries in what are now the provinces of Salta, Catamarca, La Rioja and Tucumán in northwestern Argentina, and in the Atacama and Coquimbo...
descent. At the age of nine she was a national champion in gymnastics, for which she received a scholarship to study at the women's boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
in Santiago
Santiago
Santiago is the capital city of Chile. Santiago may also refer to:*Santiago *Santiago , a Spanish given name*Santiago!, a shortened form of the Reconquista battle cry "Santiago y cierra, España"...
. Back in Vallenar she switched to athletics, becoming a pentathlon
Pentathlon
A pentathlon is a contest featuring five different events. The name is derived from Greek: combining the words pente and -athlon . The first pentathlon was documented in Ancient Greece and was part of the Ancient Olympic Games...
champion.
Provoste majored in physical education
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
at the Playa Ancha University of Educational Sciences in Valparaíso
Valparaíso
Valparaíso is a city and commune of Chile, center of its third largest conurbation and one of the country's most important seaports and an increasing cultural center in the Southwest Pacific hemisphere. The city is the capital of the Valparaíso Province and the Valparaíso Region...
. She pursued postgrad studies in education administration at the same university, and in local government and decentralization in Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
. During her university years she was twice president of the student board and was a member of the student's federation.
During the Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle
Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle
Eduardo Alfredo Juan Bernardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle is a Chilean politician and civil engineer who was President of Chile from 1994 to 2000. He is currently Senator for Los Ríos and was President of the Senate from 2006 to 2008. He attempted a comeback as the candidate of the ruling Concertación...
administration Provoste was the Atacama Region
Atacama Region
The Atacama Region is one of Chile's 15 first order administrative divisions. It comprises three provinces, Chañaral, Copiapó and Huasco. It is bordered to the north by Antofagasta, to the south by Coquimbo, to east with Provinces of Catamarca, La Rioja and San Juan of Argentina, and to west with...
director of the National Women's Service (1996-97) and governor of the Huasco Province
Huasco Province
Huasco Province is one of three provinces of the northern Chilean region of Atacama . Its capital is the city of Vallenar.-Geography and demography:...
(1997-2001). During President Ricardo Lagos
Ricardo Lagos
Ricardo Froilán Lagos Escobar is a lawyer, economist and social democrat politician, who served as president of Chile from 2000 to 2006. He won the 1999-2000 presidential election by a narrow margin in a runoff over Independent Democrat Union candidate Joaquín Lavín...
's tenure she was intendant of the Atacama Region
Atacama Region
The Atacama Region is one of Chile's 15 first order administrative divisions. It comprises three provinces, Chañaral, Copiapó and Huasco. It is bordered to the north by Antofagasta, to the south by Coquimbo, to east with Provinces of Catamarca, La Rioja and San Juan of Argentina, and to west with...
(2001-04), minister of Planning (2004-06) and, during Michelle Bachelet
Michelle Bachelet
Verónica Michelle Bachelet Jeria is a Social Democrat politician who was President of Chile from 11 March 2006 to 11 March 2010. She was the first woman president of her country...
's presidency, National Executive Director of Integra Foundation (2006) and minister of Education (2006-08).
Impeachment trial
In February 2008, the Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic reported that around US$500 million transferred by the Education Ministry to public and subsidized private schools during 2004–2008 were not properly accounted for and that nearly US$600K were illegally transferred by an accountant working in the Ministry's Santiago Regional Office to private school managers and her relatives. There were also reports of financial mismanagement in other areas, as well as duplicate enrollment of thousands of students.Provoste was accused by the opposition of not correcting these irregularities and was impeached (violation of article 52, number 2, letter b of the Constitution
Constitution of Chile
In its temporary dispositions, the document ordered the transition from the former military government, with Augusto Pinochet as President of the Republic, and the Legislative Power of the Military Junta , to a civil one, with a time frame of eight...
) as minister of Education by the Chamber of Deputies
Chamber of Deputies of Chile
The Chamber of Deputies of the Republic of Chile is the lower house of Chile's bicameral Congress. Its organisation and its powers and duties are defined in articles 42 to 59 of Chile's current constitution....
on April 3, 2008 and suspended from her post. The Senate
Senate of Chile
The Senate of the Republic of Chile is the upper house of Chile's bicameral National Congress, as established in the current Constitution of Chile.-Composition:...
heard her case on April 15, 2008 and voted to convict her the following day on one out of five counts. She was immediately removed from her job and disqualified from office for the following five years.
Post-impeachment life
Shortly after her impeachment Provoste moved to CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
to study. On October 15, 2008 she filed a suit against the Chilean State before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights is an autonomous organ of the Organization of American States .Along with the...
.
Provoste returned to Chile in mid-2009, residing in Vallenar
Vallenar
Vallenar is a city and commune in Atacama Region, Chile. It is the capital of the Huasco Province and is located in the valley of the Huasco River. Vallenar has 47,000 inhabitants. Its main activities are farming and mining...
. In November 2010 she was elected Atacama Region
Atacama Region
The Atacama Region is one of Chile's 15 first order administrative divisions. It comprises three provinces, Chañaral, Copiapó and Huasco. It is bordered to the north by Antofagasta, to the south by Coquimbo, to east with Provinces of Catamarca, La Rioja and San Juan of Argentina, and to west with...
president of the Christian Democrat Party with 80% of the vote, allowing her to be part of the party's National Council. She plans to run for a seat in Congress at the December 2013 elections.