Dr. Jaime David Fernandez Mirabal (born 15 October 1956) is a Dominican psychiatrist, agronomist, and politician. He was Vice President of the Dominican Republic, having served in the first Government of the

Dominican Liberation Party The Dominican Liberation Party ( Spanish: Partido de la Liberación Dominicana, referred to here by its Spanish acronym, the PLD) is a political party in the Dominican Republic. Founded in 1973 by former president Juan Bosch, the party, along ...

from 1996 to 2000. He was also the Minister for Environment and Natural Resources of the

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares wit ...

Biography

First stage

Jaime David Fernandez Mirabal was born on October 15, 1956 in Ojo de Agua, Salcedo, today called

Hermanas Mirabal Province Hermanas Mirabal (; named after the Mirabal sisters) is a province of the Dominican Republic. It was split from Espaillat Province in 1952 and was originally called Salcedo, the name of its capital city; it is still referred to by this name somet ...

. He is the son of Jaime Fernandez Camilo and Dedé Mirabal Reyes, and the nephew of heroines Patria, Minerva, and María Teresa Mirabal, who were brutally assassinated during the Trujillo dictatorship on November 25, 1960, the date which was declared as the International Day of Non-Violence Against Women. This date is recognized by many countries, especially Onu. Dr. Fernández is the brother of Jaime Enrique Fernandez Mirabal and Jaime Rafael Fernandez Mirabal. His mother, Dede, took responsibility for raising her sisters' 6 children: Nelson Gonzalez Mirabal, Noris Gonzalez Mirabal and Raul Gonzalez Mirabal Mirabal (first son, daughter and second son of Patria); Minerva Tavárez Mirabal and Manolo Tavárez Mirabal (daughter and son of Minerva) and Jacqueline Guzman Mirabal (daughter of Maria Teresa). Fernandez married Lissy Campos in 1988; they have three children, Adriana Fernandez Campos, Antón David Fernandez Campos and Carmen Adela Fernandez Campos.

Studies and interests

Fernandez completed his primary and secondary education in Salcedo, later attending the Instituto Superior de Agricultura (English: Higher Institute of Agriculture) (ISA), studying agronomy. After graduating with his bachelor's degree he moved to

Santo Domingo , total_type = Total , population_density_km2 = auto , timezone = AST (UTC −4) , area_code_type = Area codes , area_code = 809, 829, 849 , postal_code_type = Postal codes , postal_code = 10100–10699 (Distrito Nacional) , websi ...

, where he studied medicine at the Instituto Tecnologico de Santo Domingo (INTEC). After this, Fernandez moved to

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

where he specialized in

mental health Mental health encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being, influencing cognition, perception, and behavior. It likewise determines how an individual handles stress, interpersonal relationships, and decision-making. Mental health ...

at the

Complutense University of Madrid The Complutense University of Madrid ( es, Universidad Complutense de Madrid; UCM, links=no, ''Universidad de Madrid'', ''Universidad Central de Madrid''; la, Universitas Complutensis Matritensis, links=no) is a public research university loca ...

. After various travels through

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

and

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...

where he helped treat many patients in these countries, he undertook further study in

social medicine The field of social medicine seeks to implement social care through # understanding how social and economic conditions impact health, disease and the practice of medicine and # fostering conditions in which this understanding can lead to a health ...

. During his career as a doctor, Fernandez has worked in

Cambita Garabitos Cambita Garabitos is a municipality (''municipio'') of the San Cristóbal province in the Dominican Republic. As of the 2012 census the municipality had 42,589 inhabitants, 23,930 living in the city itself and 18,659 in its rural districts (''Sec ...

in San Cristobal, Rancho Español and Las Galeras, Samana in the ''Clinic Rural Montellano Salcedo Hospital'', both located in Salcedo. Fernandez speaks several languages, including his native

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

, and French. He also has non-speaking knowledge of

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

and

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

. According to some media, Fernandez has always been interested in sports. From the age of 13 he decided to organize athletic competitions in his hometown, Ojo de Agua, Salcedo, in memory of his aunts the

Mirabal Sisters The Mirabal sisters ( es, hermanas Mirabal ) were four sisters from the Dominican Republic, three of whom (Patria, Minerva and María Teresa) opposed the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo () and were involved in clandestine activities against his ...

. He went on to create a sports and recreation club called the ''Mirabal Sisters Cultural and Sports Club'', which sought to promote the organization and training of youth culture across the province. Fernandez was an active player in several sports, particularly football. At the same time he also showed some artistic skills in science, becoming a member of the drama and poetry of community in his hometown. He has also served as president of the ''Union Sports Salcedo Province'' and director of several national sports federations. Fernandez has also demonstrated his interests in education, becoming a member of the Society of Parents and Friends of the School, and serving as an important part of the Committee on Rural Health Clinic. He has also participated in the training of farmers' associations and mothers' clubs, with a single, clear objective of promoting good moral values, and providing educational and recreational services throughout the country.

Start in politics and vice presidency

Fernandez admired and followed the doctrine and ideology of Professor Juan Bosch, becoming convinced that to better promote social welfare activities, he had to go into politics. He then decided to join the ranks of the new

(PLD) political party in 1973. Since the party's inception Fernandez devoted himself to further party integration and the search for new supporters for the PLD, proposing the integration of new party members in the Province of Salcedo. He also campaigned on the party's behalf for three years in

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...

. In 1990, he was nominated by his fellow party sympathizers for the candidacy of senator of Salcedo province. The campaign was successful and led to him becoming the first PLD senator of Salcedo. In his new position in the Senate, he began extensive work within the concentration of different political forces. During the government of Dr.

Joaquín Balaguer Joaquín Antonio Balaguer Ricardo (1 September 1906 – 14 July 2002) was a Dominican politician, scholar, writer, and lawyer. He was President of the Dominican Republic serving three non-consecutive terms for that office from 1960 to 196 ...

, he helped to create a Provincial Development Program, which was recognized both nationally and internationally, especially in the areas of health, education, drinking water, and loans for women-run businesses. The efforts of Senator Fernandez, along with that of the Provincial Planning Office, the Provincial Office for Women, the Provincial Office of Information and Statistics (OPIE), and the Legal Center for Women, led to the implementation of a program to protect women's rights and fight domestic violence, continuing the legacy of his aunts, the

. In 1994, Fernandez ran again for office, and was reelected to the Senate. In 1996, Professor Juan Bosch declined to run for the presidency. Eventual presidential nominee Dr. Leonel Fernández Reyna suggested that Fernandez consider becoming vice president. Fernandez was immediately nominated by the PLD for Vice President of the Republic. He became the first vice president representing both the PLD and Ojo de Agua, Salcedo. He was later appointed by President Fernández, during his 3rd presidential term, as ''Secretary of State for Environment and Natural Resources''.

References

External links