Hipólito Mejía

Rafael Hipólito Mejía Domínguez (born 22 February 1941, in Gurabo, Santiago de los Caballeros). President of the Dominican Republic from August 16 2000 to August 16 2004.

Related Topics:
22 February - 1941 - Gurabo - Santiago de los Caballeros - Dominican Republic - August 16 - 2000 - 2004

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The second son of the marriage between Hipólito de Jesús Mejía and María Josefa Domínguez. When he concluded secondary education, in Santiago, he moved to San Cristobal to study agronomy in the Loyola Polytechnic Institute, where he graduated in 1962. Two years later, at age 23, he attended special programs at North Carolina State University, in the United States, to continue his studies in his professional area.

Related Topics:
Loyola Polytechnic Institute - 1962 - North Carolina State University

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He has been married with Rosa Gómez for thirty years, and has four children: Carolina, Lisa, Felipe and Ramón Hipólito.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

At just twenty-four years of age, he was appointed director of the Tobacco Institute, with a rank of under secretary. Years later, in 1978, President Antonio Guzmán Fernández appointed him Minister of Agriculture and coordinator of the entire agricultural sector. During this period agri-business incentive laws were passed, and the most ambitious program to promote rural agriculture development and technification was undertaken.

Related Topics:
1978 - Antonio Guzmán Fernández

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1982 he was cast in the senatorial contest for his Santiago province and the results were not favorable. In 1990 he was named vice-presidential candidate to accompany Dominican Revolutionary Party leader José Francisco Peña Gómez, and the luck was the same. These experiences did not discourage him, he always kept his stability, as well as his joviality which is an intrinsic part of him. On August 16, 2000 he was sworn in as Constitutional President after winning in the elections held May 16 of that year. He won the Dominican Revolutionary Party convention with 75 percent of the rank and file?s votes.

Related Topics:
1982 - 1990 - Dominican Revolutionary Party - José Francisco Peña Gómez - August 16 - 2000 - May 16

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Running for president as the candidate of the nominally socialst Dominican Revolutionary Party on a program to increase health, education, and social security services through tax hikes, he was elected on May 16 2000 with a 49.9% share of the vote. His main opponents, Danilo Medina and former president Joaquín Balaguer, received 24.9% and 24.6%, respectively. A runoff was scheduled between Medina and Mejía, but Medina withdrew, and Mejía took office on 16 August of that year.

Related Topics:
May 16 - 2000 - Danilo Medina - Joaquín Balaguer - 16 August

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

On his watch, the economy shrank, poverty increased, and a sharp increase in the external debt was created. During this period, small numbers of Dominican troops were sent to Iraq as part of the Coalition of the Willing, while an aircraft used by the President's security chief was seized by the US Drug Enforcement Administration at Miami International Airport.

Related Topics:
Poverty - Coalition of the Willing - Drug Enforcement Administration - Miami International Airport

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Mejia's term also saw the collapse of Baninter, the country's second largest privately held commercial bank, in a US$2.2 B banking fraud and government corruption scandal. Though required by law to only guarantee limited individual deposits within the country in the national currency, the Peso, the Dominican Central Bank opted to guarantee all $2.2B in unbacked Baninter deposits, regardless of amount, regardless of whether deposits were in Pesos or United States Dollars and regardless of whether the deposits were held in the Dominican Republic or in Baninter's branches in the Cayman Islands and Panama. The subsequent shortfall was equal to 12%-15% of GDP, resulting in massive inflation (42%) and the devaluation of the Peso by over 50%.

Related Topics:
Baninter - United States Dollars - Cayman Islands - Panama - GDP

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Hipólito Mejía stood for a second term in the presidential election slated to take place on 16 May 2004. However, he was defeated by former President Leonel Fernández who campaigned on a platform of stabilising the economy and reducing inflation.

Related Topics:
Presidential election - 16 May - 2004 - Leonel Fernández

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~