The new generations of Dominicans like around the world are consuming basic information in the midst of the day-to-day hustle and bustle and with the simplification and agitation imposed and promoted by digital social networks.
I have no idea where this infantile directness is leading, which pervades even older adults, but what is certain is that people’s daily lives are becoming more and more robotized and the practice of looking back, experiencing and synthesizing. that contribute to improvement. current and future practices are scarce.
That is why today I am trying my best to remember some basic characteristics of the governments of the last four presidents the country has had from 1996 to 2021, which is 25 years.
Leonel Fernández came to government in August 1996 to replace Joaquín Balaguer who had been exhausted for the last ten years in a row, after a break of eight, but when he joined these ten with his first 12, they made him the ruler with the longest term in office from the fall of Rafael Trujillo in 1961.
Fernández started his first government characterized by collective leadership, with the leadership of the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD), the Political Committee, acting by consensus in the leadership of the government, and the members of the cabinet were appointed with some sort of power quota . to that elite. With the exception of José Tomás Pérez, the majority of PLD leaders took up positions in the state and became involved in the garbage can of immense social debt built up by Dominican society and backward institutional structures, which strongly distanced them. and social bases, leaving room to form expectations of social progress and ties to the existing powers.
In this way, the PLD exposed itself to two threats: replacing collective leadership with individual projection, and as a result developing a mindset of totally changing their simple lifestyles to now almost all become rich and well-off in power. . international, national and local power circles.
This explains why people who were educated in the Bosch school of honor, honesty, simple living, defense of the common good of the population, sacrifice for the people, turned an important part of them into civil servants and changed their aspirations in the opposite direction .
On the economic front, they embraced the neoliberal conception and formalized the collapse of the state-owned companies that survived the deaths of Trujillo, the governments of Balaguer, Antonio Guzmán and Salvador Jorge Blanco.
It is true that these companies had lost momentum and, in large part, served as a nest from which corruption and shortcomings came out, but instead of checking them, cleaning them up and letting them compete on an equal footing with the private sector, they gave their benefits to the state are not seen in the improvement of the conditions of the population who had funded this state heritage.
Positive aspects
But the Fernández (PLD) government introduced new and modern aspects at the institutional, political and road infrastructure levels, improving school facilities and their safety.
Tedious and “tax” mediated processes that made them expensive for the taxpayer were reduced.
On a political level, he sponsored greater expansion of liberties, opened the country to international relations, and emphasized diplomatic relations with Cuba, Asian countries and the Arab world.
As for his style, he always dressed formally, did not attend meetings and events on time, and for the inaugurations of works there was a military raid from Santo Domingo to Elías Piña and there they brought him a majestic chair to a Seat.
Hipólito Mejía-PRD
Hipólito Mejía joined the government on August 16, 2000, replacing Fernández after winning the elections in May based on the vote of the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD). He was the third candidate to come to power for the PRD after the war of 1965 and the US military aggression of that year.
Mejía retained the same characteristics of economic policy that he inherited from Fernández, but put more emphasis on modernizing the field where he introduced new practices such as production in controlled environments (greenhouses) that laid the foundation and transferred the technology to the now growing fruit export basket. ., vegetables, musaceae, flowers and grains.
On the economic front, he was more or less stable until 2002, when, according to the plan to give up collective leadership to take control, he sought and reached a constitutional reform to be reelected, sparking an internal uprising in the PRD. and a firm response from the opposition of the PLD with Leonel in charge and as chairman of that party.
This confrontation created gangrene in the banking system that eventually bankrupted three banks and shook the foundations of this vital manufacturing, trading and consumption sector.
The consequences have been disastrous for the population, who have suffered the consequences of the bank run, the displacement of capital, the sharp rise in the dollar exchange rate, galloping inflation and a spectacular growth of extreme poverty and a decline in the middle class.
In these circumstances, his re-election project fell into disrepair in May 2004, paving the way for the PLD’s return to power with Fernández as presidential candidate.
Mejía responsibly acknowledged his defeat and Fernández, who had become ruler for the second time and the only one to put the PLD in power because both Bosch and Danilo had lost Medina, gained leadership and political power, which helped him alongside the political power. Committee recovery of the economy, the renegotiation of debt, attracting foreign investment, created an environment of confidence, inflation and the dollar fell and the country’s momentum recovered.
The very good relationship with the Bolivarian government of Venezuela, led by Colonel Hugo Chávez, gave her access to oil in very favorable conditions for the Dominican economy and among other macroeconomic policy factors, which allowed the growth of poverty to be reversed and subsequently in could be greatly reduced. .
Hipolito’s style
As for Mejía’s style as a ruler, he was punctual, he combined the formal with the informal, he was clear, direct and sharp in his jokers who sometimes caused hilarity and in other cases anger and carelessness.
With all naturalness, he was able to befriend King Juan Carlos or Fidel Castro, developing a tacky style to the point that after an inauguration and after cutting the ribbon, he turned and cut a gentleman’s tie. standing next to him.
The army deployed thousands of troops along the highways to travel the route of the ruler’s aides, for like Leonel, he went by helicopter from the capital to remote inland towns.
Next week I hope to continue with the characteristics of Danilo Medina and Luis Abinader.