Juan Bosch (politician)
Juan Emilio Bosch y Gaviño (30 June 1909 – 1 November 2001) was a Dominican politician, historian, writer, essayist, educator, and the first democratically elected president of the Dominican Republic for a brief time in 1963. Previously, he had been the leader of the Dominican opposition in exile to the dictatorial regime of Rafael Trujillo for over 25 years. To this day, he is remembered as an honest politician[1][2][3] and regarded as one of the most prominent writers in Dominican literature.[4][5][6] He founded both the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD) in 1939 and the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) in 1973.
In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Bosch and the second or maternal family name is Gaviño.
Juan Bosch
Armando González Tamayo
30 June 1909
La Vega, Dominican Republic
1 November 2001 (aged 92)
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Revolutionary (1939–73)
Liberation (1973–2001)
Isabel García (m. 1934–1943?)
Carmen Quidiello (m. 1943–2001; his death)
Early life[edit]
Juan Bosch Gaviño was born in the city of La Vega on June 30, 1909. His father was a Spaniard from Catalan origin, and his mother was a Puerto Rican from Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico. He lived the first years of his childhood in a rural community called Río Verde, where he began his primary studies. He did his secondary studies at the San Sebastián de La Vega school, only reaching the third level of high school. In 1924 he moved to Santo Domingo, where he worked in several commercial stores. Later in 1929 he traveled to Spain, Venezuela and some Caribbean islands.[7][8] In 1934, he married Isabel García and had two children with her: Leon and Carolina. During Trujillo's dictatorship, Bosch was jailed for his political ideas, being released after several months. In 1938, Bosch managed to leave the country, settling in Puerto Rico.
Death and legacy[edit]
Juan Bosch died on 1 November 2001, in Santo Domingo.[18][19][20] As a former president, he received the corresponding honors at the National Palace, and was buried in his hometown of La Vega. A metro station in Santo Domingo was named in Bosch's honor in 2009.
His wife, former First Lady Carmen Quidiello, died on 19 December 2020, at the age of 105.[10][9]