Gender equality will only be reached if we are able to empower women.

There's full consensus in the military that women shouldn't be in person-to-person combat. I don't know if we have enough experience to know whether this is the right approach. But women can be elsewhere. We have mandatory military service in Chile. I pushed for women in all areas.

I was not born in a home where there were stereotypes. So that was very useful because it gave me the sense of possibilities, of flying, if I may say, of making my hopes and dreams a reality.

The possibility of my presidential candidacy emerged spontaneously in public opinion polls. For my part, I noticed people's affection when I was doing work on the ground. I think the important thing is that my candidacy was born from citizens themselves, driven by the people and which the parties picked up favourably.

I was a woman, a divorcee, a socialist, an agnostic . . . all possible sins together.

I am a woman with a calling for social struggle and public service.

You all want to know what is my dream? Very simple. To walk along the beach, holding the hand of my lover.