Hipolito Mejia, Papa is after another opportunity
Diario Libre
SANTO DOMINGO. An impetuous man, one who jokes and has clear positions. From the countryside, a professional agronomist, and with experience at leading the state.
Criticized by his adversaries, but with great empathy among his followers, Rafael Hipolito Mejia Dominguez, once again competes in a presidential election, after having governed the country in the 2004-2008 period.
The son of Hipolito Mejia (Polin) and Maria Josefa (Marina) Dominguez (deceased), the candidate for the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PLD) was born in Chichigua in Gurabo, in the municipality of Santiago, on 22 February 1941, and he stayed there until he was 16.
His childhood was developed under a strict family upbringing, but with time to play baseball, his favorite sport, studying and helping with the farm work. In his native town he did his primary studies, and secondary studies in Santiago and San Cristobal at the Loyola Polytechnic Institute where he graduated as an agronomist in 1962.
Regarding his childhood, his aunt, Julia Dominguez (Doña Cuca) recalls that Hipolito was very lively, with a happy face and very intelligent.
"From the time he began to talk, I pointed at him and said that this little boy will be a good man, because he spoke with restraint and sureness, he never lied and if something happened he asked for pardon because he was very educated," she said.
If he was not an agronomist, Mejia could have been a ball player; he was a pitcher, had a good arm and managed to strike out a lot of players. Although he even went to school on a burro, he was one of the first in Chichigua to have a bicycle, which he shared with his cousins and friends.
Every day in the mornings, according to Doña Julia, Hipolito would go to Santiago on his bicycle to receive his high school classes and he would return in the afternoons. She cheerfully told how from the time he was little the PRD candidate enjoyed his studies, his mangú, his rice and his beans. He was a good eater.
Those years of being a child and a student are remembered by Mejia with nostalgia. On several occasions he has said that they were times of rains that taught him to "ski on mud" in order to get to school.
Before leaving Chichigua to study in San Cristobal, he told his family that they could count on him and that he was not going to let them down. "He has never failed us," said doña Julia, who Hipolito and his sister Chabela call "tiíta."
After graduating as an agronomist, in 1964 he left for the United States to carry out studies at the University of North Carolina and that same year he married Rosa Gomez Arias, his fiancé who he had known since they were children. This marriage has produced four children: Ramon Hipolito, Carolina, Lisa, and Felipe.
His first job was at the Tobacco Institute in 1965, where he worked as a farming researcher for a brief time before taking over as the director. His dedication to the job took him to a high up posting with the United States firm of Rohm & Haas, where he worked from 1967 to 1973.
From there he went to Industria Linda, where he was vice-president for Planning and Farm Development until 1978. In 1971 he was president of the National Association of Agricultural Professionals (ANPA).
He began to take his first steps in politics in 1962 when he joined the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD) at the side of future President Antonio Guzman. In 1978, when Guzman won the presidency, he was appointed Minister of Agriculture. After occupying this position, he continued in politics, becoming a candidate in 1982 for the Senate seat from Santiago.
During the decade of the 1980s Mejia became vice-president of the PRD and in 1990 he was a vice-presidential candidate on the ticket with the former leader Jose Francisco Peña Gomez. In those elections the party obtained a third place with 23% of the vote. In 1999, he won the primary elections of the party and was nominated in 2000 as the party's candidate for the presidency, and on 16 May he won the elections.
From his memory-chest, today's PRD candidate always remembers Mama Belica's dog, who he liked a lot. This dog belonged to his grandmother, Mama Belica, and was famous because when it felt threatened it bit people. As a joke, Mejia always threatens to send his opponents Mama Belica's dog.
His cousin Brunilda Dominguez, nostalgically recalls her younger years when she used to play with Mejia and they went to school and catechism together. "He was a top student. He was got at math and social studies."
She went back to those years and she sees Hipolito riding his bicycle or playing baseball, sharing with others; "he was a hard working and studious boy," she says.
Everyone with Papa
In La Chichigua, nearly everyone is with Papa. The flags and photographs can be seen on the front of the houses.
His relatives wear his baseball hats from the time they wake up, and they say they are confident that Mejia will win the elections. On the land that saw Hipolito come into this world, his contemporaries remember him and the younger generations enjoy his jibes.
On his original home there is no trace. On the land there is a lot of weeds under a mango tree that everyone says that 71 years ago the former President and now the candidate one again, was born.
His patrimony
According to his last statement of assets, filed on 14 September 2004, the former President and the PRD nominee for the presidency, has a fortune that is worth RD$46,502,919.93.
The amount included cash in banks of RD$2,399,980.48; shares in different companies for RD$4,780,300; property worth RD$31,665,253,60; furnishings and equipment for RD$2,650,000; vehicles worth RD$5,007,385,85 for a total of assets of RD$46,502,919,93, of which he had a RD$4,500,000 loan to pay off.
What they say about him:
Felicita Rodriguez de Diaz (a friend)
I feel that I am part of the Mejia family, I remember him for his nobility and his work ethic. He always wanted to get ahead.
They are a family that is well-brought-up in God's Law. He was well brought up, they are an excellent family.
Jose Dominguez (cousin)
They called him Cabuya, he was always studying and he was very friendly. His mother always said that he was going to become President. His girlfriend has always been doña Rosa. I think that he will become President with God's help, since he has never forgotten his people and he is a good man.
Hector Guzman (Spokesman)
He is a sincere, humble, frank, a family man, supportive, he believes in God, he has a high degree of social awareness, he is authentic, he is an expert and identifies with the Dominican Republic, his country and his party, the Dominican Revolutionary Party.
His team
A large machine moves the strings of his campaign. Mejia has a team made up of Cesar Cedeño, the general coordinator; Tony Peña, the executive director; Alfredo Pacheco, the electoral director; Ramon Alburquerque, the national technical director; Cesar Sanchez, an electoral director; Yadira Hernandez, campaign director of Fedomusde; Orlando Jorge Mera, the party secretary general, Andres Bautista, the interim president of the PRD; Bonaparte Gautreaux Piñiero, in communications, Hector Guzman, his spokesman; Wellington Arnaud, the coordinator of the advance team Enmanuel Esquea Guerrero, the president of the Presidential Advisory Council.
Also, there is Farides Raful, with the young people; Antonio Marte in transportation; Sergio Grullon with the external sector; Manuel Duran who coordinates international relations; Jesus Feris deals with health issues; Eligio Jaquez deals with farming and Martin Robles is in energy. His loyal security chief is General Rafael Luciano Diaz Morfa.
Criticized by his adversaries, but with great empathy among his followers, Rafael Hipolito Mejia Dominguez, once again competes in a presidential election, after having governed the country in the 2004-2008 period.
The son of Hipolito Mejia (Polin) and Maria Josefa (Marina) Dominguez (deceased), the candidate for the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PLD) was born in Chichigua in Gurabo, in the municipality of Santiago, on 22 February 1941, and he stayed there until he was 16.
His childhood was developed under a strict family upbringing, but with time to play baseball, his favorite sport, studying and helping with the farm work. In his native town he did his primary studies, and secondary studies in Santiago and San Cristobal at the Loyola Polytechnic Institute where he graduated as an agronomist in 1962.
Regarding his childhood, his aunt, Julia Dominguez (Doña Cuca) recalls that Hipolito was very lively, with a happy face and very intelligent.
"From the time he began to talk, I pointed at him and said that this little boy will be a good man, because he spoke with restraint and sureness, he never lied and if something happened he asked for pardon because he was very educated," she said.
If he was not an agronomist, Mejia could have been a ball player; he was a pitcher, had a good arm and managed to strike out a lot of players. Although he even went to school on a burro, he was one of the first in Chichigua to have a bicycle, which he shared with his cousins and friends.
Every day in the mornings, according to Doña Julia, Hipolito would go to Santiago on his bicycle to receive his high school classes and he would return in the afternoons. She cheerfully told how from the time he was little the PRD candidate enjoyed his studies, his mangú, his rice and his beans. He was a good eater.
Those years of being a child and a student are remembered by Mejia with nostalgia. On several occasions he has said that they were times of rains that taught him to "ski on mud" in order to get to school.
Before leaving Chichigua to study in San Cristobal, he told his family that they could count on him and that he was not going to let them down. "He has never failed us," said doña Julia, who Hipolito and his sister Chabela call "tiíta."
After graduating as an agronomist, in 1964 he left for the United States to carry out studies at the University of North Carolina and that same year he married Rosa Gomez Arias, his fiancé who he had known since they were children. This marriage has produced four children: Ramon Hipolito, Carolina, Lisa, and Felipe.
His first job was at the Tobacco Institute in 1965, where he worked as a farming researcher for a brief time before taking over as the director. His dedication to the job took him to a high up posting with the United States firm of Rohm & Haas, where he worked from 1967 to 1973.
From there he went to Industria Linda, where he was vice-president for Planning and Farm Development until 1978. In 1971 he was president of the National Association of Agricultural Professionals (ANPA).
He began to take his first steps in politics in 1962 when he joined the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD) at the side of future President Antonio Guzman. In 1978, when Guzman won the presidency, he was appointed Minister of Agriculture. After occupying this position, he continued in politics, becoming a candidate in 1982 for the Senate seat from Santiago.
During the decade of the 1980s Mejia became vice-president of the PRD and in 1990 he was a vice-presidential candidate on the ticket with the former leader Jose Francisco Peña Gomez. In those elections the party obtained a third place with 23% of the vote. In 1999, he won the primary elections of the party and was nominated in 2000 as the party's candidate for the presidency, and on 16 May he won the elections.
From his memory-chest, today's PRD candidate always remembers Mama Belica's dog, who he liked a lot. This dog belonged to his grandmother, Mama Belica, and was famous because when it felt threatened it bit people. As a joke, Mejia always threatens to send his opponents Mama Belica's dog.
His cousin Brunilda Dominguez, nostalgically recalls her younger years when she used to play with Mejia and they went to school and catechism together. "He was a top student. He was got at math and social studies."
She went back to those years and she sees Hipolito riding his bicycle or playing baseball, sharing with others; "he was a hard working and studious boy," she says.
Everyone with Papa
In La Chichigua, nearly everyone is with Papa. The flags and photographs can be seen on the front of the houses.
His relatives wear his baseball hats from the time they wake up, and they say they are confident that Mejia will win the elections. On the land that saw Hipolito come into this world, his contemporaries remember him and the younger generations enjoy his jibes.
On his original home there is no trace. On the land there is a lot of weeds under a mango tree that everyone says that 71 years ago the former President and now the candidate one again, was born.
His patrimony
According to his last statement of assets, filed on 14 September 2004, the former President and the PRD nominee for the presidency, has a fortune that is worth RD$46,502,919.93.
The amount included cash in banks of RD$2,399,980.48; shares in different companies for RD$4,780,300; property worth RD$31,665,253,60; furnishings and equipment for RD$2,650,000; vehicles worth RD$5,007,385,85 for a total of assets of RD$46,502,919,93, of which he had a RD$4,500,000 loan to pay off.
What they say about him:
Felicita Rodriguez de Diaz (a friend)
I feel that I am part of the Mejia family, I remember him for his nobility and his work ethic. He always wanted to get ahead.
They are a family that is well-brought-up in God's Law. He was well brought up, they are an excellent family.
Jose Dominguez (cousin)
They called him Cabuya, he was always studying and he was very friendly. His mother always said that he was going to become President. His girlfriend has always been doña Rosa. I think that he will become President with God's help, since he has never forgotten his people and he is a good man.
Hector Guzman (Spokesman)
He is a sincere, humble, frank, a family man, supportive, he believes in God, he has a high degree of social awareness, he is authentic, he is an expert and identifies with the Dominican Republic, his country and his party, the Dominican Revolutionary Party.
His team
A large machine moves the strings of his campaign. Mejia has a team made up of Cesar Cedeño, the general coordinator; Tony Peña, the executive director; Alfredo Pacheco, the electoral director; Ramon Alburquerque, the national technical director; Cesar Sanchez, an electoral director; Yadira Hernandez, campaign director of Fedomusde; Orlando Jorge Mera, the party secretary general, Andres Bautista, the interim president of the PRD; Bonaparte Gautreaux Piñiero, in communications, Hector Guzman, his spokesman; Wellington Arnaud, the coordinator of the advance team Enmanuel Esquea Guerrero, the president of the Presidential Advisory Council.
Also, there is Farides Raful, with the young people; Antonio Marte in transportation; Sergio Grullon with the external sector; Manuel Duran who coordinates international relations; Jesus Feris deals with health issues; Eligio Jaquez deals with farming and Martin Robles is in energy. His loyal security chief is General Rafael Luciano Diaz Morfa.
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