Danilo Medina facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Danilo Medina
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Danilo Medina, 2017
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| 53rd President of the Dominican Republic | |
| In office 16 August 2012 – 16 August 2020 |
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| Vice President | Margarita Cedeño de Fernández |
| Preceded by | Leonel Fernández |
| Succeeded by | Luis Abinader |
| Secretary of State of the Presidency | |
| In office 16 August 2004 – 8 November 2006 |
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| President | Leonel Fernández |
| Preceded by | Sergio Grullón |
| Succeeded by | César Pina Toribio |
| In office 16 August 1996 – 16 August 1999 |
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| President | Leonel Fernández |
| Preceded by | Rafael Bello Andino |
| Succeeded by | Alejandrina Germán |
| President of the Chamber of Deputies | |
| In office 16 August 1994 – 16 August 1995 |
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| Preceded by | Norge Botello |
| Succeeded by | Ramón Fadul |
| President pro tempore of CELAC | |
| In office 28 January 2016 – 26 January 2017 |
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| Preceded by | Rafael Correa |
| Succeeded by | Salvador Sánchez Cerén |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 10 November 1951 Bohechío, Dominican Republic |
| Political party | Dominican Liberation Party |
| Spouse |
Cándida Montilla
(m. 1987) |
| Relatives | Lucía Medina (sister) Francisco Caamaño (second-cousin) |
| Alma mater | Santo Domingo Institute of Technology |
| Signature |  |
| Website |
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Danilo Medina Sánchez (born 10 November 1951) is a Dominican politician. He served as the President of the Dominican Republic from 2012 to 2020. He is a member of the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD).
Medina was previously a top advisor to the President. He held this role from 1996 to 1999 and again from 2004 to 2006. In May 2012, he won the presidential election. He defeated Hipólito Mejía with 51% of the votes. In May 2016, Danilo Medina was re-elected. He won the election with 61.8% of the votes. This was a very high percentage for a free election since 1924.
His second term as president was known for being caring and focused on goals. President Medina often visited poor rural areas of the country. He ended his second term with a 65% approval rate.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Danilo Medina was born in Arroyo Cano, a town in the San Juan Province. This area is in the southwest of the Dominican Republic. He was the oldest of eight children. His parents were Juan Pablo Medina de los Santos and Amelia Sánchez Abreu.
From the age of 18, he was a student leader. He helped start a student group in San Juan de la Maguana. In 1973, he joined the Partido de la Liberación Dominicana (PLD). This party was founded by Professor Juan Bosch. Medina studied economics at Instituto Tecnológico Santo Domingo (INTEC). He graduated with honors in 1984.
He became a member of the PLD's Central Committee in 1983. In 1986, he was elected as a deputy in Congress. In 1987, he married psychologist Cándida Montilla. They have three daughters: Sibeli, Vanessa, and Ana Paula.
Political Career in the 1990s and 2000s
In 1990, Medina became a member of the Political Committee of the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD). Other important members included Leonel Fernández and Juan Temístocles Montás. His party chose him to be the President of the Chamber of Deputies.
He served as President of the Chamber of Deputies of the Dominican Republic from 1994 to 1995. After that, he was the Secretary of State of the Presidency. He held this role from 1996 to 1999 and again from 2004 to 2006.
As president of the Chamber of Deputies, he played a key role in solving a political problem in 1994. There was a very close election between Joaquín Balaguer and José Francisco Peña Gómez. This led to a big disagreement. They solved it with an agreement that changed election rules. This agreement helped the PLD win the 1996 presidential election. Leonel Fernández won against José Francisco Peña Gómez.
Medina is seen as a top political planner and negotiator for the PLD. He was a leader in President Fernández's presidential campaign. He became Secretary of the Presidency in 1996. He was one of the President's closest helpers.
In 2000, President Fernández could not run for re-election. So, Medina became the PLD's presidential candidate. He came in second place to Hipólito Mejía. Mejía was from the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD). Medina decided to give up the election before the second round of voting. He felt he could not win. He said that a second round would not be good for the country.
When President Fernández started his second term in 2004, Medina was again Secretary of the Presidency. This role is like a Chief of Staff. He was seen as very powerful within the government. As the 2008 election came closer, Medina was a strong challenger to President Fernández. He resigned from his post in November 2006 to run for the PLD presidential nomination.
Medina ran his campaign with slogans like "Now Is the Time." But he was defeated by President Fernández in the party's internal election in May 2007. The PLD usually did not allow presidents to run for re-election right away. However, President Fernández changed this rule. This allowed him to campaign against Medina while still in office.
In the party vote, Medina received 28.45% of the votes. President Fernández got 71.55%. After this, Medina and his supporters kept a low profile. He was then seen as the most likely candidate for the PLD in the 2012 presidential election.
President of the Dominican Republic
Medina ran for president in the 2012 election. He won on May 21, with 51.24% of the votes. He defeated Hipólito Mejía, who he had also faced in the 2000 election. During his campaign, there were some questions about his university thesis. However, the professor who raised the concerns was later removed from his position.
As president, Medina promised to fight corruption. He also aimed to create jobs and invest in education. In the 2016 presidential election, Medina was re-elected. He won a second term by defeating Luis Abinader with 61.8% of the votes.
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His government worked closely with the United States on international matters. For example, regarding Venezuela, he did not recognize Nicolas Maduro as president. Instead, he supported Juan Guaido, an opposition leader. He also met with Donald Trump in 2019. They discussed common policies for Venezuela and China's economic practices.
Images for kids
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Danilo Medina's signature
See also
In Spanish: Danilo Medina para niños
