Two weeks ago, Chile elected a socialist female president. Last Sunday, in Bolivia an indigenous leader who also is a socialist assumed the presidency. But they seemed to be very different, at least according to the reactions that these elections provoked around the globe.

In global terms, South American countries are turning to the Left. Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Venezuela and Bolivia now have self-called socialists or social-democrats governments. However, while the world applauds the election of Ms. Michelle Bachelet in Chile, most countries look with skepticism at the new Bolivian president, Mr. Evo Morales. Why are there these differences? What make a socialist in Chile so different that a socialist in Bolivia?

An editorial of in The Washington Post (Wednesday, January 18th) states that Mr. Morales' "socialism is the populist statism that first appeared in the region more than half a century ago."

Professor Byron Nichols, of the Political Sciences Department, states that is very difficult nowadays to talk about an ideology. What does it mean to be socialist?

Mr. Morales has said throughout his campaign that his government's first priority will be to nationalize all the natural resources in Bolivia with a very anti-capitalist and very anti-imperialistic discourse. "We have to find ways to repair the robbery of 500 years," he stated in his first speech as President this last Sunday in La Paz. However, his words have become softer after he got elected.

He has said that he is an admirer of the Cuban Revolution and of the government of Hugo Chávez in Venezuela. This alignment of Mr. Morales with Cuba and Venezuela along with his plans and speeches, have created a sort of mistrust from Americans of the new Bolivian government.

Mr. Morales has been traveling all over the world meeting with important leaders in Latin America, East Asia and Europe. He has talked Bolivia's foreign investors about how his government will respect property and will attract foreign capitals to create economic stability and create jobs. He spoke to gas companies saying that "they are partners, but they cannot be owners", but keep his state that the robbery cannot pursue, "all natural resources have to belong to the Bolivian people."

Another important issue, in which Mr. Morales has focused on in his speeches, is the international relationships between these two South American countries. Bolivia has demanded historically its coast line to the Pacific Ocean, which it lost because of a war between Chile, Peru and Bolivia at the end of the 19th century. Since then, Chile and Bolivia do not maintain diplomatic relationships. However, once elected, Mr. Morales personally met with today's Chilean President, Ricardo Lagos. This gesture has been interpreted as an enormous sign of peace and good will. So far, both governments have committed to "discuss all issues." His prudence has surprised the international community, and particularly Chilean politicians and analysts.

Socialists and Christian-democrats have governed Chile for over 15 years. Its economy has grown constantly and it has signed free trade agreements not only with the U.S., but with Europe, China and South Korea. Chile, being a very conservative country that just in 2005 promulgated its divorce law, has recently elected a female as president. Apparently, this is the big news. Thus, the question rises: Is Ms. Bachelet is going to raise a feminist agenda or a socialist one? Will she continue the path of the governments before her?

The gender gap in all state offices is one of Ms. Bachelet main courses of action. This means a big change in a conservative male-ruled country. Professor Nichols explains that that is a strategy that has been used for European countries that hold a social-democrat agenda towards gender equality, such as Norway, which had had several female prime ministers and it is not only forced for state offices to have same amount of women than men, but even companies' directories.

Females in power have become an issue in the past months not just because of Chile, but Liberia and Germany elected women leaders as well. Countries such as Ireland, the Philippines, Latvia, and Bangladesh also have women in charge of their state. Israel, India and Great Britain have had great elected female leaders, while several European monarchies are being ruled by Queens. Condolezza Rice and Hillary Clinton are now part of the names for future candidates to the presidency of the United States. However, the importance of Ms. Bachelet's election goes beyond her sex.

The socialist approach of her future government has to do with its goal to get deeper in the changes to the social security system: "My commitment is that we will consolidated a great system of social security by the year 2010. It will give tranquility to Chileans and their families" she said in her speech Sunday. Deep state structures inherited from the right-wing dictatorship remains in Chile; privates systems for Health, Education and Social Security affect the equal access to basic services among Chileans. Time will only tell how she will deal with these matters.

Ms. Bachelet's main plan is keeping the track of the reconciliation of the Chilean community. She and her mother were victims of abuses and torture within Pinochet's dictatorship; her father was a General of the Air Force and he was killed while he was a political prisoner: "Violence got into my life destroying what I loved. Because I was a victim of hatred, I have dedicated my life to revert that hatred. And turn it in understanding, tolerance, and, why not saying it, in love. Chileans have reconciled!"

With these issues at stake, the U.S. government applauds the election of Ms. Bachelet, while speaks about its concern about Mr. Morales' government. The United States "will look to the behavior of the Bolivian government to determine the course of U.S.-Bolivian relations" said the Secretary of State, Ms. Condoleezza Rice.

Asked about tagging the three -Cuban, Venezuelan and Bolivian governments- as the new Latin American "Axil of Evil", Professor Nichols smiles: "If you look at what's happening in terms of human rights abuse in North Korea, Iran, Libya... I don't see those abuses in Latin America. If we mean Axil of Evil in terms of building nuclear arsenals, I don't see that happening in Latin America. If we mean Axil of Evil in term of countries we don’t like, I understand it, but it doesn’t mean anything”. Within those matters, Chile as a temporal member of the U.N. Security Council, did not vote in favor to the American-leaded invasion to Iraq while it was negotiating the Chilean-American Free Trade Treaty. How come a small country would not support the action knowing that that would put on jeopardy the success of that agreement? Is that something the U.S. liked?

Professor Nichols suggests that it is hard to talk, from an American perspective, about desirable or undesirable governments in general terms, “we have to look into specific issues” he insists. In the meantime, the world observes and these two countries and the entire region hope for the best.