Hipólito Mejía
Rafael Hipólito Mejía Domínguez (born 22 February 1941) is a Dominican politician who served as President of the Dominican Republic from 2000 to 2004.
Hipólito Mejía | |
|---|---|
Hipólito Mejía, 2003 | |
| 51st President of the Dominican Republic | |
| In office 16 August 2000 – 16 August 2004 | |
| Vice President | Milagros Ortiz Bosch |
| Preceded by | Leonel Fernández |
| Succeeded by | Leonel Fernández |
| Secretary of Agriculture of the Dominican Republic | |
| In office 16 August 1978 – 16 August 1982 | |
| President | Antonio Guzmán Jacobo Majluta |
| Preceded by | Pedro Agustín Bretón Taveras |
| Succeeded by | José Rafael Ángeles Suárez |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 22 February 1941 Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic |
| Political party | Modern Revolutionary Party Dominican Revolutionary Party |
| Spouse |
Rosa Gómez Arias
(m. 1964; died 2022) |
| Children |
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| Relatives |
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| Alma mater | North Carolina State University |
| Hometown | Gurabo, Dominican Republic |
During his presidential term in office the country was affected by one of its worst economic crises, generated by the bankruptcy of three major commercial banks in the country, which resulted in high inflation, high country risk rating, currency devaluation and increasing local poverty. Further damaging to Mejía's reputation was the arrest of ex-army captain Quirino Paulino. Quirino was arrested after being linked to a large drug trafficking ring, and in the legal and political aftermath, connections to Mejía were discovered. Mejía sent 604 Dominican troops to fight in the Iraq War.
In the presidential election of 2004, he ran for a second term as the candidate of the Dominican Revolutionary Party but he was defeated by Leonel Fernández, whom he had succeeded as president in 2000, from the Dominican Liberation Party.