Santiago, Chile – President of the French Republic Jacques Chirac and his Chilean counterpart, Michelle Bachelet, visited Saturday the Santiago subway, which was built more than 30 years ago with French technology and now carries more than a million passengers a day.
At the Quinta Normal station on the city’s west side, Chirac was received with a cultural ceremony featuring two folkloric figures of traditional Chilean music, an organ-grinder and a “chinchinero” (a musician who plays drum and cymbals), who filled the subway stop with music.
The Santiago Metro company gave Chirac and Bachelet ceramic replicas of the two typical Chilean characters.
After the event, Bachelet and the French head of state, who arrived in Santiago yesterday on an official visit, rode the subway train to Plaza de Armas station in downtown Santiago.
According to the metro’s top executive Blas Tomic, President Chirac said he was “amazed” by the Santiago subway.
Since the subway system’s beginning in 1967, French companies have been associated with its development in such areas as engineering, trains, communication systems, financing of the construction and advertising support.
Recalled on this occasion was the “MetroArte” project planned for the future Los Dominicos station in Santiago, where a wall will be dedicated to the permanent display of a French artist’s oeuvre, while in a station of the Paris metro the work of a Chilean artist will be installed.
Chirac was received ceremoniously Saturday by Santiago Mayor Raul Alcaino, who bestowed on him the title of “Illustrious Guest” and presented him with the keys to the city.
He then met with members of the French community resident in Chile at the Lycee Alliance Francaise.
Chirac is the first chief executive to make a state visit here since Bachelet was sworn in as president on March 11, and is also the first French president to visit Chile since Charles de Gaulle arrived in 1964.
President Chirac’s visit concluded with a private lunch offered by the French head of state in honor of President Bachelet. He was scheduled to return to his own country Saturday afternoon.
