Leonel Fernandez President of the Dominican Republic Date of Birth: 26.12.1953 Country: Dominican r.

Biography of Leonel Fernandez

Leonel Antonio Fernandez Reyna was born on December 26, 1953, in Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic. He spent his childhood in New York City, United States. Fernandez began his political career in his home country and joined the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) in early 1973. However, he later left the party when its founder, the renowned politician Juan Bosch, also departed. Fernandez then created his own party and quickly climbed the political ladder, gaining popularity as a student of Bosch and a supporter of his ideas.

In 1994, Fernandez was elected as the vice president candidate of the country, and two years later, he became the president of the Dominican Republic. The presidential elections, which took place in May 1996, were conducted with great scrutiny due to the criticism of the previous fraudulent and corrupt elections under President Joaquin Balaguer. Fernandez's election followed the constitution, which required a candidate to obtain a majority of votes.

Initially, in the first round of elections on May 16, 1996, Fernandez received only 38.9% of the votes. However, in the second round on June 30, he claimed an undisputed victory with 51.2% of the votes and was sworn into office. Fernandez expressed his gratitude to his mentor and idol Juan Bosch, who did everything within his power to help his student attain the highest position.

From the early days of his presidency, Fernandez focused on economic reforms in the country and facilitated the Dominican Republic's participation in high-level international meetings, such as the Organization of American States and the Miami Summit. Fernandez served as president until 2000 and was then re-elected for a second term, despite some of the electorate considering his performance less effective. He was sworn in for his second term on August 16, 2004.

After four years, Fernandez was re-elected for a third term. Currently, Leonel Fernandez is positioned as a fair and sensible leader.