Leonel Fernandez
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Leonel Fernandez was elected President of the Dominican Republic on May 16, 2004, after defeating incumbent president Hipolito Mejia. A former lawyer and the leader of the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD), Fernandez had previously served as president of the Dominican Republic from 1996-2000, before leaving his post amidst a corruption scandal immediately before Mejia took office.
The election of Fernandez was seen as a reaction to the severe economic crisis faced by the Dominican Republic, since under Mejia, the price of staple foods tripled and quadrupled, the foreign debt doubled, the value of the peso plummeted, and unemployment soared -- events which Mejia attributed to a bank fraud scandal and a world recession. As part of his campaign, Fernandez promised to stabilize the economy and reverse inflation, which topped 43 percent under Mejia. During Fernandez' previous term in office, the economy had grown by over 7 percent a year.
Fernandez's election was significant in that it included votes from over 50,000 Dominicans living abroad in the United States, Puerto Rica, Canada, Spain and Venezuela. This was the first time Dominicans abroad were allowed to vote in a national election.
Fernandez was born on December 26, 1953, in Santo Domingo, but was raised in New York City.
Last updated: June 28, 2004.
