Raquel Arbaje de Abinader
Raquel Arbaje in 2021
55th First Lady of the Dominican Republic
Current
Assumed role
16 August 2020
PresidentLuis Abinader
Preceded byCándida Montilla de Medina
Personal details
Born
Raquel Patricia Arbaje Soneh

(1970-09-21) 21 September 1970 (age 53)
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Political partyModern Revolutionary Party
Spouse
​
(m. 1995)​
Children3
Alma materUniversidad Iberoamericana (UNIBE)

Raquel Patricia Arbaje Soneh (born 21 September 1970) is a Dominican businesswoman and children's literature writer. She has served as the First Lady of the Dominican Republic, since August 2020 as the wife of President, Luis Abinader.[1][2]

Early life

Arbaje is the daughter of businessman Elías Arbaje Farah and Margarita Soneh, who were both of Lebanese descent.[3][4][5] Her uncle is Bartolo Soni who was a professional boxer, older brother of Margarita.[6] She is the third of four siblings, including Ricardo (who is deceased), Eduardo, and Monica.[4] Her father, Elías Arbaje Farah, a businessman who manufactured mattresses, died on 16 November 2009.[4]

Education

Arbaje graduated summa cum laude with business administration degree from the Universidad Iberoamericana (UNIBE) in Santo Domingo.[3][7][5] She speaks fluent Spanish, English, and French, and has some knowledge of Italian and Portuguese.[7][5]

Arbaje is a businesswoman and author of children's literature.[3] She also recorded a song, "'Mi cajita de valores", with the proceeds benefiting the Don Bosco children's nonprofit.[3][2]

Personal life

She married economist Luis Abinader. Together, the couple have three children – Graciela Lucía, Esther Patricia and Adriana Margarita Abinader Arbaje.[3][5] Together with Abinader, Arbaje composed the anthem for the Modern Revolutionary Party, which was co-founded by her husband in 2014.[3][2]

In June 2020, both Arbaje and Abinader tested positive for COVID-19 during the 2020 presidential election campaign. Both recovered from the coronavirus.[8]

First Lady

Raquel Arbaje became First Lady of the Dominican Republic on 16 August 2020. Unlike her immediate predecessors, President Abinader and First Lady Arbaje announced that the government would eliminate funding for the Office of the First Lady during his presidential tenure.[3] Instead, Arbaje had proposed a much smaller office to handle the schedule and role of the first lady during the 2016 and 2020 campaigns.[3][5]

References

  1. ^ "First Lady of DR, Raquel Arbaje: "a voice for those who have not had a voice."". Dominican Today. 18 August 2020. Archived from the original on 2 March 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  2. ^ a b c Pérez, Celeste (8 July 2020). "Gran reto ser Primera Dama de la República". Listín Diario. Archived from the original on 1 October 2020. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Perez, Celeste (8 July 2020). "¿Qué es y cómo funciona el Despacho de la Primera Dama?". Listín Diario. Archived from the original on 28 February 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  4. ^ a b c "Fallece empresario Elías Arbaje Farah". Diario Libre. 16 November 2009. Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  5. ^ a b c d e Soldevila, María Isabel (7 May 2016). ""No seré una Primera Dama de dar limosna"". Listín Diario. Archived from the original on 10 October 2016. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  6. ^ Nacional, El (10 January 2021). "Soni y Alí: ambos ayudaron a disolver un mito". El Nacional (in Spanish). Retrieved 11 March 2023.
  7. ^ a b "Raquel Arbaje, madre y Primera Dama solidaria". Revista Mercado. 18 May 2021. Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  8. ^ "Dominican presidential candidate Abinader and his wife are infected with Covid-19; receive broad solidarity". Dominican Today. 11 June 2020. Archived from the original on 11 January 2021. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
Honorary titles Preceded byCándida Montilla de Medina First Lady of the Dominican Republic 2020–present Incumbent
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