Joaquin Balaguer Biography

It is not often that aging politicians with numerous health problems get to rule over a country, but Joaquin Balaguer, a three-time President of the Dominican Republic, was one such rare person. Ambitious, shrewd and resilient, he was a fine example of the classic Latin American Strongman. Balaguer was a man who never gave up; once he set his eyes on a goal, he would do whatever it takes to achieve that. After serving as the vice president during the regime of the President Hector Trujillo, he himself became the president later. From a young age he had been interested in politics and was very much in awe of the Puerto Rican political leader, Pedro Albizu, who he admired for his fierce leadership skills. He studied law and also displayed interest in writing. The talented and ambitious young man entered the world of politics striving to make it big. He held several executive and diplomatic posts including the secretary of education under the Trujillo regime of dictatorship. When he himself ran for the president, he based his campaign on the platform of peace and orderly change—a promise he strived his best to fulfill.