Balaguer: the end appears to be near

[arturo]

This might be it for "El Caudillito" It won't be so much the end of an era - in my opinion - as the end of an imaginary link to the Trujillo years.

[El Jefe]

He'll outlive dirt.

[Drake]

I'll give him six months more. Old people never really recover from massive internal bleeding. I ain't no doc, but i've seen it before....

He once wrote in a book that he wanted a proper Christian buriel when he died. So that when he was placed in the ground the earth would consume his body and eventually flowers would grow on the spot, which would contain traces of his soul...

[Pib]

Originally posted by Drake
flowers would grow on the spot, which would contain traces of his soul...

... and other dangerous pollutants

[sjh]

Originally posted by El Jefe
He'll outlive dirt.

he already has

[El Jefe]

You know, Balaguer was probably the right man at the right time for the DR in his early days. The problem is that he held on too long. The older and more infirm he got the more those around him were able to take advantage and to influence him. I remember meeting him one time. I was with several other American kids at the embassy residence. He was a very dignified man but also let loose with us. He talked about the importance of education and encouraged us to study and seek higher opportunities. Notice, I don't say he wasn't greedy, ambitious, etc. He definately had his good and bad side.

[sjh]

well he certainly was successful at what he tried to do..

I think my wife may have met him once too. Ill have to ask.

[Jane J.]

In any case, we'll still have Balaguer 2.0 (Hipo) for possibly many, many years more. This new version has the same disrepect for civil rights and the constitution, but does not include the ability to write a book, speak, or philosophize.

[Squat]

I think Balaguer was a great transition between hard dictatorship and the so called democracy we have these days... He, of course, kept a lot of the Trujillo's ways, especially in the beginning, but one must admit he did a good job, and since that DR is among the best latin countries... Now, I really don't think anybody can compare Balaguer and Hippolito, since the first was educated and some kind of an elitist, and the second mostly ignorant and populist, proud of his lack of knowledge...
-But then what is democracy worth in the third world ?
-Is it such a good idea to let the illitterate masses elect our prez' and other representatives ?

[Eddy]

I personally lived and did business here during several "Balaguer" years and believe me, at least on the North Coast, things where 200% better than the past 2 Gov's. Give me the old guy back (As he was 20 years ago) any day.