José Salvador Omar Jorge Blanco (July 5, 1926 – December 26, 2010) was a politician, lawyer and a writer. He was President 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 ...
, from 1982 to 1986. He was a Senator running for the
PRD party. He started his political career as a Committee Secretary for the ''Unión Cívica de
Santiago
Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is the center of Chile's most densely populated region, the Santiago Metropolitan Region, whose ...
'' in 1963 and joined the PRD in 1964.
Early years and education
Jorge Blanco was born in Santiago on July 5, 1926, son of Dilia Limbert Blanco Polanco (
Tamboril, 1900-Santiago, 1988) and Pedro María Jorge Arias (
Licey, 1898-Santiago, 1982). He studied at primary school Ercilia Pepin, and superiors at the Ulises Francisco Espaillat high school. He graduated in Law from the
Autonomous University of Santo Domingo
In developmental psychology and moral, political, and bioethical philosophy, autonomy, from , ''autonomos'', from αὐτο- ''auto-'' "self" and νόμος ''nomos'', "law", hence when combined understood to mean "one who gives oneself one' ...
. In 1951, he obtained a doctorate from 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 loc ...
, with a postgraduate degree in the specialty of International Law. Jorge Blanco was a musician, standing out on instruments such as piano and cello.
Jorge married
Asela Mera de Jorge on December 27, 1957.
The couple had two children, Orlando Jorge Mera and Dilia Leticia Jorge Mera.
Dilia Leticia Jorge Mera is a lawyer, while Orlando Jorge Mera became secretary general of the Dominican Revolutionary Party
The Dominican Revolutionary Party ( es, link=no, Partido Revolucionario Dominicano, PRD) is a political party in the Dominican Republic. Traditionally a left-of-centre party and social democratic in nature, the party has shifted since the 2000 ...
(PRD).[
In 1961, he opened a law firm after the overthrow of the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo, immediately began in political life as a member of the National Civic Union. In 1963, after the coup d'état to President Juan Bosch, he joined the civil movement that sought the return of Dominican constitutionality.
In 1964, he joined the ]Dominican Revolutionary Party
The Dominican Revolutionary Party ( es, link=no, Partido Revolucionario Dominicano, PRD) is a political party in the Dominican Republic. Traditionally a left-of-centre party and social democratic in nature, the party has shifted since the 2000 ...
, where he held various positions in the Political Commission and the National Executive Committee of the same.
Presidency
Jorge Blanco succeeded fellow PRD member Jacobo Majluta Azar
Jacobo Majluta Azar (9 October 1934 – 2 March 1996) was Vice President of the Dominican Republic from 16 August 1978 to 4 July 1982. He was one of the generations of politicians in the Dominican Republic whose ambition was continually thwarte ...
to the presidency in 1982. Despite their political affiliations, Guzmán's term (before Majluta's) was characterized by a bitter feud with Jorge Blanco, who from the senate led the party in opposition to the administration. Unproven, but widely circulated rumors and conspiracy theories tied Guzmán's family advisers to corruption
Corruption is a form of dishonesty or a criminal offense which is undertaken by a person or an organization which is entrusted in a position of authority, in order to acquire illicit benefits or abuse power for one's personal gain. Corruption m ...
, especially following the president's alleged suicide in July 1982.
At the time of Jorge Blanco’s election, it was hoped that neopatrimonial patterns would experience a clearer and more dramatic break, given that Blanco was going to govern with a PRD majority in both houses (17 out of 27 in the senate and 62 of 120 in the chamber). However, two events highlight Jorge Blanco’s constraints and his limitations while in office. In April 1984, sharp price increases mandated as part of an economic stabilization program approved by the International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is a major financial agency of the United Nations, and an international financial institution, headquartered in Washington, D.C., consisting of 190 countries. Its stated mission is "working to foster globa ...
(IMF) led to massive riots and scores of deaths. This tarnished the administration's record in civil and human rights
Human rights are Morality, moral principles or Social norm, normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for ce ...
, one of the areas where the PRD had been able to project its sharpest differences with the former Balaguer administration. Then, in November 1985, a party primary that was intended to highlight the PRD's continued commitment to internal democratic procedures to select its presidential nominee ended inconclusively due to a shoot-out at the Concorde Hotel, where the ballots were being counted. Jorge Blanco governed the Dominican Republic during a period of dramatic economic difficulties imposed largely by the international system. In 1985, for the first time since the 1965 civil war, the country experienced negative growth rates.
Post-presidency and corruption charges
Salvador Jorge Blanco was, at the end of his mandate in 1986, considered by many to be one of the most promising political leaders in Dominican Republic. However, following a long interrogation session and an order for his arrest on corruption charges relating to the illegal commissions on the purchase of equipment for the armed forces, Jorge Blanco fled to the Venezuelan embassy on April 30, 1987 , requesting political asylum. A heart spasm led to his internment in a Santo Domingo clinic, even as the Venezuelan government opted not to respond to his asylum request. Jorge Blanco was allowed to leave for the United States for medical treatment after acknowledging there was a warrant for his arrest. President 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 ...
, who succeeded him, tried Jorge for corruption in November 1988. Jorge was prosecuted (in absentia) by Marino Vinicio Castillo
Marino Vinicio Castillo Rodríguez (born July 18, 1931), better known as Vincho, is a prominent Dominican lawyer, and controversial figure in Dominican politics. He is the president of the conservative political party National Progressive Force ( ...
, and eventually sentenced to a multi-million fine and 23 years in jail after several months of a trial that was televised. In May 2001, the Supreme Court reviewed the case, it found the case was damaged by violations of President Jorge Blanco’s rights and the conviction was quashed. Jorge always denied the charges and claimed his nightmare was the result of political persecution by Joaquín Balaguer.
Death
On November 25, 2010 the Ex-President was taken to the emergency room at the Center for Advanced Medicine Dr. Abel González, after falling from his bed and hitting his head causing a heavy internal hemorrhage. On the early morning of December 26, 2010 he died after being in a coma for 37 days.
See also
*Politics of the Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a representative democracy, where the President of the Dominican Republic functions as both the head of the government and head of the multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power ...
Frank
Notes
External links
Biography and tenure by CIDOB Foundation
(in Spanish)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jorge Blanco, Salvador
1926 births
2010 deaths
People from Santiago de los Caballeros
Dominican Republic people of Spanish descent
Dominican Revolutionary Party politicians
Presidents of the Dominican Republic
Attorneys General of the Republic (Dominican Republic)
Heads of government who were later imprisoned
White Dominicans