Dr. Jaime David Fernandez Mirabal (born 15 October 1956) is a Dominican psychiatrist, agronomist, and politician. He was

Vice President of the Dominican Republic The vice president of the Dominican Republic () is the second-highest political position in the Dominican Republic. The vice president is the first person in the presidential line of succession, ascending to the presidency upon the death, resign ...

, having served in the first Government of the Dominican Liberation Party from 1996 to 2000. He was also the Minister for Environment and Natural Resources of the

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles of the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. It shares a Maritime boundary, maritime border with Puerto Rico to the east and ...

Biography

First stage

Jaime David Fernandez Mirabal was born on October 15, 1956, in Ojo de Agua, Salcedo, today called Hermanas Mirabal Province. 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 Santo Domingo, formerly known as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city of the Dominican Republic and the List of metropolitan areas in the Caribbean, largest metropolitan area in the Caribbean by population. the Distrito Na ...

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

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

where he specialized in

mental health Mental health is often mistakenly equated with the absence of mental illness. However, mental health refers to a person's overall emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It influences how individuals think, feel, and behave, and how t ...

at the

Complutense University of Madrid The Complutense University of Madrid (, UCM; ) is a public research university located in Madrid. Founded in Alcalá in 1293 (before relocating to Madrid in 1836), it is one of the oldest operating universities in the world, and one of Spain's ...

. After various travels through

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

and

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

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

social medicine Social medicine is an interdisciplinary field that focuses on the profound interplay between socio-economic factors and individual health outcomes. Rooted in the challenges of the Industrial Revolution, it seeks to: # Understand how specific soci ...

. 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 district ...

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 countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

, English,

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

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

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

, Portuguese and

Greek Greek may refer to: 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 of all kno ...

. 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 ( ) 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 activities against his regime. The three sisters were a ...

. 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 Dominican Liberation Party (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 List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...

. 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 who was the 41st, 45th and 49th president of the Dominican Republic serving three non-consecutive terms from 1960 t ...

, 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 Leonel is a given name. Notable people with the name include: *Leonel Altobelli (born 1986), Argentine footballer * Leonel Álvarez (born 1965), former Colombian football defensive midfielder * Leonel Bastos or Lionel Bastos, singer, songwriter and ...

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