Fotografo de Bodas, Santiago

November 24, 2009

It’s almost election time here in Chile. That means that the people campaigning for president or mayor or whatever, put signs up all over the place. Near where we live it got to the point where they actually had to take some of them down because people couldn’t see to turn the corner when they were driving. I don’t really understand why the same political candidate will have 50 of the exact same sign or poster all placed within 20 square meters. I don’t know a single person who says, “Yeah, Pinera has the most posters, I’m definitely voting for him!” Most Chileans I’ve talked to find this campaign practice a nuisance and an eyesore more than a help in deciding whom they’d like to elect, so who knows why this practice continues.

I really have very little interest in politics in Chile since I can’t vote. So I haven’t put forth much effort into learning about the candidates. Frei is so old he farts dust, Pinera is so rich he wipes his ass with 100,000 peso bills, and I can’t pronounce Marco Enrique Ari-blah-blah’s name. That’s about all the political commentary you’ll be getting off this blog.

However, I did notice one thing here in Algarrobo that caught my eye. I’ve seen tons of the above mentioned posters for two women campaigning here in the region, and both are campaigning under their nicknames. One goes by “Pepa,” which I’m actually not sure what it’s short for, but if I had to take a gander I’d guess it’s short for Maria Something. And the other has written on her official campaign posters, “La Regalona.” The closest translation we have in English I think would be pet, like a teacher’s pet, except that she could also be town’s regalona if everyone in the region loves her, or Pinera’s regalona if she’s really close to him…something along those lines.

We haven’t been in Santiago much since they’ve put up the campaign posters, but what I’m curious about is whether or not any men are campaigning under a nickname. I mean, I haven’t heard anyone refer to Frei as “Negrito,” a common (rather racist) guy’s nickname in Chile meaning “Little Black One,” however, I really haven’t been watching the news much. Does anyone know if any of the men are campaigning under a nickname?

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just coming back from the north, i'm quite sure i saw some posters with “voten por el negrito” somewhere near antofagasta! wouldn't have remembered this post, though. (:

Comment by pmn — November 24, 2009 @ 9:05 pm
one “without” missing up there, but i guess people understand what i mean anyway.

Comment by pmn — November 24, 2009 @ 9:06 pm
I think Pepa typically is short for Josefa, as Pepe is short for José. But it could also be short for something else? It will be really interesting to see how this election turns out…hasn't the Frei family had the presidency like 15 times in Chilean history?
Chau!
Lizzy

Comment by Name — November 24, 2009 @ 9:10 pm
In the far north, I remember there was a man known as “El Choro Soria”, “choro” as bold, brave, irreverent, clever… all those words into one. It´s kinda cool being “choro” xD… Can´t remember any other… mmm nop

Comment by I_Marmo_I — November 24, 2009 @ 9:16 pm
[...] Original post: Elections in Chile « Kyle Hepp [...]

Pingback by Elections in Chile « Kyle Hepp | Chile Today — November 24, 2009 @ 11:05 pm
Pepa (cada vez se usa menos) = Josefa, María José, Josefina

“choro” Soria en Iquique
“chico” zaldívar (Ex ministro de Frei Montalva y Bachelet, en su campaña ponía carteles que decían “chico de mi barrio)

Nunca hicieron campaña con sobrenombres, pero eran llamados así por la gente algunos ex presidentes como “don Tinto” (Pedro Aguirre Cerda, años 40) y “El paleta” Jorge Alessandri (Presidente 1958-1964) y muuuchos otros políticos.

Comment by Tobal — November 25, 2009 @ 7:14 am
haha, yes got your meaning across, no worries

Comment by kyleracine — November 25, 2009 @ 8:48 am
I have no idea how many times Frei has had the presidency…all I know is that my suegra is totally ready to vote for him again! She's like, “He's changed! Things have changed”

Hmmmmm….I wonder about that.

Comment by kyleracine — November 25, 2009 @ 8:50 am
haha, I wish La Chora Hepp could be my nickname except that I don't think it has quite the same ring as El Choro. That's kind of awesome.

Comment by kyleracine — November 25, 2009 @ 8:51 am
Gracias Tobal, yo pense que era Maria Algo pero no me acordaba Maria Cual era…

Para mi es interesante que algunas personas ponen sus sobrenombres en sus carteles. La campana political es una cosa muy seria y me parece un poco raro usar sobrenombres.

Comment by kyleracine — November 25, 2009 @ 8:53 am
Maybe the politicians think that by using a nickname on their posters people of different social statuses will think of them in a more personal / affectionate way and that they'll win some votes that way.

Comment by Ritamae39 — November 25, 2009 @ 10:18 am
Political campaign practices are always fun to observe. I remember being in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic in the weeks leading up to a presidential election for a college course called Caribbean Politics years ago. It seemed more like carnival with music and people marching and dancing along the malecon and politicians talking over bull horns in cities and rural areas. It was quite festive! I don't know what Frei looks like or his ethnic/racial background is, but if Spanish practices in Chile are like many other Hispanic/Latin American countries, use of “negrito” is a term of endearment like “mi querido” or “qmi uerida” which roughly translates to “my love or my dear,” “sweetheart” or a loved one. It can be used to refer to someone with fair skin or dark skin. Many of my Puerto Rican, Cuban and Dominican friends use the term for a loved one. So hopefully, it is not being used as a racial label. That would be really sad.

Comment by Debora — November 25, 2009 @ 3:42 pm
“La Chora Hepp”, sería bastante potente como apodo en estas elecciones, suena al mismo tiempo cercano y serio, aunque efectivamente parece sonar diferente a “El Choro” xD

Comment by I_Marmo_I — November 25, 2009 @ 4:12 pm
I don't read Spanish well enough to really follow Chilean politics, but I do find the differences in political culture pretty interesting. Your question about the nicknames is a good one.

On an only semi-related tangent, yesterday, at Thanksgiving dinner, though, I did learn that my in laws are connected to two of the candidates. I knew about the connection to the Frei family–my mother in law and her sisters are longtime friends of Eduardo Frei's sister, so they have known the whole family since they were children. He's not really that old–certainly no more so than the average U.S. politician.

Then, as it turns out, the mother of the younger leftist candidate introduced my inlaws to each other more than 40 years ago when they were all working together in the same building or something. At the time, my mother in law was engaged to someone else and apparently this lady felt that my father in law would be a more suitable match!

Comment by Mary — November 27, 2009 @ 8:20 pm
I don't read Spanish well enough to really follow Chilean politics, but I do find the differences in political culture pretty interesting. Your question about the nicknames is a good one.

On an only semi-related tangent, yesterday, at Thanksgiving dinner, though, I did learn that my in laws are connected to two of the candidates. I knew about the connection to the Frei family–my mother in law and her sisters are longtime friends of Eduardo Frei's sister, so they have known the whole family since they were children. He's not really that old–certainly no more so than the average U.S. politician.

Then, as it turns out, the mother of the younger leftist candidate introduced my inlaws to each other more than 40 years ago when they were all working together in the same building or something. At the time, my mother in law was engaged to someone else and apparently this lady felt that my father in law would be a more suitable match!

Comment by Mary — November 28, 2009 @ 4:20 am