Recognizing and Honoring Dr. Leonel Fernández Reyna, President of the Dominican Republic on his visit to Philadelphia.

WHEREAS, Leonel Fernández was born in Santo Domingo on December 26, 1953, to José Antonio Fernández-Collado and Yolanda Reyna-Romero; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Fernández went to public schools in New York City for the primary schooling of what would later on bloom into a brilliant professional career; and

WHEREAS, Upon his return to the country, he entered the Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo (UASD), establishing his domicile in the residential sector of Villa Juana, where he spent the first years of his youth; and

WHEREAS, At that time, Dr. Fernández felt attracted to the more advanced ideas emerging in the then current political debate, which would soon lead him to study the works of, whom would be his mentor and guide, Professor Juan Bosch; and

WHEREAS, With the help of Professor Juan Bosch and a host of other Dominicans, Dr. Fernández helped found the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD), at the young age of 20, in 1973; and

WHEREAS, In 1978, Dr. Fernández was bestowed a postgraduate honors degree in Law (Magna Cum Laude) entitling him to the “J. Humberto Doucudray” Award, as the most outstanding student of his class; and

WHEREAS, His college thesis, “The Crime of Public Opinion”, which later would become one of the most requested books by Law scholars and the mass media, enriched the national bibliography regarding such a complex and novel subject for the nation; and

WHEREAS, From 1983 to 1990, Dr. Fernández’s reputation within the intellectual circles by means of conferences, press articles and debates helped him hold great political positions of responsibility within his party including, apprentice of the party’s doctrines, post of intermediate leader, Secretary of International Affairs and Secretary of the Press; and

WHEREAS, For his political and personal merits, in 1994, Dr. Fernández was selected by the Dominican Liberation Party as their vice-presidential candidate; and

WHEREAS, In 1996, an overwhelming majority of the PLD chose him as their candidate for President, in which he emerged successful, thus becoming the first Head of State to emerge from the PLD and one of the youngest statesman in Latin America; and

WHEREAS, After a four-year hiatus, he was elected to a second term of office in the presidential election held on May 16, 2004, with an absolute majority; now therefore

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That we hereby recognize and honor Dr. Leonel Fernández Reyna, President of the Dominican Republic, on his visit to Philadelphia to address the 2006 United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Convention.

FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to Dr. Leonel Fernández Reyna, President of the Dominican Republic as a symbol of respect and admiration of this legislative body.

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