Mireya Baltra

Mireya Baltra Moreno (25 February 1932 – 17 April 2022) was a Chilean sociologist, journalist, and politician of the Communist Party of Chile. She was a councillor (1963–1969) and a deputy (1969–1973) for Santiago, and served as Minister of Labour and Social Welfare in Salvador Allende's government.

Early life Baltra was the daughter of José Baltra Baltra and María Moreno Cabezas, newsvendors in the centre of Santiago. Her father was a member of the Radical Party. In June 1972 she resigned her position as deputy on being appointed by President Allende as Minister of Labour and Social Welfare, a post she held until 2 November. In the March 1973 elections she was re-elected as deputy, this time for the 4th district, and held this position until the military coup on 11 September of that year.

Asylum and exile Within a few days of the coup, the newly established dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet issued decrees under which Baltra, together with other prominent women in the Popular Unity government, were ordered to report to the Defence Ministry under threats of “facing the consequences” if they refused. The leadership of the Communist Party decided to seek asylum in the Dutch embassy. Together with others including Gladys Marín, secretary-general of the Communist Youth of Chile,

She returned to Santiago and joined the struggle against the military dictatorship. She was arrested after a secret press conference, and given a prison sentence under state security laws and for illicit association.

In the 1990s, still with the support of the Communist Party, she tried to return to parliament in the elections for deputy in 1993 and senator in 1997; but was defeated in both contests. She was a member of the editorial board of Crónica digital: información para cada día (Digital daily news), contributing articles on political topics and historical subjects.

Death Baltra died on 17 April 2022 in Santiago, aged 90.