Hipólito Mejía facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hipólito Mejía
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Hipólito Mejía, 2003
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| 51st President of the Dominican Republic | |
| In office 16 August 2000 – 16 August 2004 |
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| 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 |
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| 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 Altagracia Gómez Arias
(m. 1964; |
| Children |
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| Relatives |
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| Alma mater | North Carolina State University |
| Hometown | Gurabo, Dominican Republic |
Rafael Hipólito Mejía Domínguez (born 22 February 1941) is a Dominican politician. He served as the President of the Dominican Republic from 2000 to 2004.
During his time as president, the country faced a very difficult economic period. This was mainly because some big banks had problems, which led to higher prices, a weaker currency, and more people living in poverty. Mejía also sent a small group of Dominican soldiers to help in the Iraq War.
In the 2004 presidential election, he tried to be elected for a second term. He was the candidate for the Dominican Revolutionary Party. However, he lost to Leonel Fernández, who had been president before him in 2000.
Early Life and Career
Hipólito Mejía Domínguez was born on 22 February 1941, in Santiago de los Caballeros. He was the first child of Hipólito de Jesús Mejía Díaz and María Josefa Domínguez Viñals. Both of his parents were from Gurabo, which is where he grew up. In his hometown, people knew him as Cabuyita. This nickname came from his long, straight blond hair when he was young. Cabuya is a word for a type of plant fiber used to make twine.
Mejía finished high school in 1962 at the Loyola Polytechnic Institute in San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic. Two years later, he studied special programs at North Carolina State University in the United States. On 4 July 1964, he married Rosa Gómez Arias, who was his third cousin. They have four children, including Carolina Mejía de Garrigó, who ran for vice-president in 2016.
When he was 24, Mejía became a director and assistant secretary at the national Tobacco Institute. In 1978, he was chosen to be the Minister of Agriculture under President Antonio Guzmán Fernández. During this time, laws were passed to help farms and programs were started to improve farming in rural areas.
In 1982, Mejía tried to become a senator for Santiago Province but was not elected. In 1990, he was chosen as the vice-presidential candidate for the Dominican Revolutionary Party leader, José Francisco Peña Gómez.
His Time as President
In 2000, Hipólito Mejía ran for president as the candidate for the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD). His plan was to improve health, education, and social security services by increasing taxes. In the first round of the 2000 presidential election, he received almost 50% of the votes. His main opponents, Danilo Medina and former president Joaquín Balaguer, received fewer votes.
Mejía was very close to winning without a second election. His supporters felt confident. Danilo Medina then decided to step out of the race, which meant Mejía became president. He officially took office on 16 August 2000.
During his presidency, Mejía supported many important issues that helped people. These included social security, helping small businesses, supporting agriculture, improving education, and providing better housing. Many people supported him during his first two years. This helped his party win most of the seats in the Senate, giving them strong control.
During Mejía's term, a very large private bank, Baninter, faced serious problems and collapsed. This caused a big economic challenge for the country. However, no proof ever connected Mejía to any wrongdoing, and he was never taken to court for it. Later, international groups like the International Monetary Fund confirmed that the bank's failure was caused by dishonest actions by its leaders. The bank's CEO was later found guilty and sent to prison.
Mejía's government tried to share government help and services with many smaller towns and rural areas across the country. Before, most efforts focused on big cities. He also started the country's first social security system for retirement. He created a new tax for companies to help the government collect more money.
His government faced challenges and did not achieve the same economic success as the president before him.
In March 2004, a group called the Haiti Commission of Inquiry looked into some events. They noted that US special forces had visited the Dominican Republic for "military exercises" in February 2003. The commission said that the US helped train Haitian groups there. This training happened near the border, with permission from President Hipólito Mejía. In the 2004 presidential election, Mejía lost to Leonel Fernández when he tried to be re-elected.
When Mejía left office, the Dominican Republic was going through a big economic crisis.
Mejía ran for president again in the 2012 presidential election. He lost to Danilo Medina, who was one of his opponents in the 2000 election.
See also
In Spanish: Hipólito Mejía para niños
