Salvador Jorge Blanco

José Salvador Omar Jorge Blanco (5 July 1926 – 26 December 2010) was a Dominican politician, lawyer and writer who served as the 48th president of the Dominican Republic 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 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 1951, he obtained a doctorate from the Complutense University of Madrid, 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 (PRD). He adopted some neoliberal economic policies.

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, who succeeded him, tried Jorge for corruption in November 1988. Jorge was prosecuted (in absentia) by Marino Vinicio Castillo, 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.