Forty-first session of ECLAC

Raquel Peña Rodríguez has established herself as a political leader with strong executive capabilities and a strategic outlook grounded in public service. Born in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic, she holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM) and an MBA awarded jointly by Universidad APEC and the Université du Québec à Montréal.

From an early age, she participated in literacy and community development initiatives in underserved communities across the country. These experiences deepened her commitment to service and her conviction that public leadership must deliver tangible opportunities for citizens.

She taught for many years at PUCMM, where she led the Business Administration program and headed the International Center for Innovation in Technology and Management. She later served as Vice Rector for Administration and Finance. She also established PUCMM Emprende, a center dedicated to fostering entrepreneurship among students.

In the private sector, she held leadership positions in family businesses engaged in commerce and the tobacco industry. She is also a member of business associations in her hometown of Santiago. These experiences have given her firsthand insight into the responsibilities of employers and business leaders, as well as the government’s role in creating conditions that support development.

In 2020, Luis Abinader selected her as his running mate, and she became the third woman to serve as Vice President of the Dominican Republic. Her reelection four years later a irmed public confidence in her leadership and ability to deliver results. As a member of the National Executive Committee of the Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM), she has also deepened her experience in party governance and consensus building within the country’s leading political party.

She coordinates the Health Cabinet and the Education Cabinet and chairs the Investment Promotion Cabinet. She coordinated the national response to the COVID-19 pandemic and has supported ongoing e orts to strengthen the healthcare system. Through these responsibilities, she advances a development agenda focused on cultivating Dominican talent and creating conditions for economic growth to translate into greater well-being and confidence in the future.

She consistently advocates for consensus and public-private collaboration, while promoting the participation of women and young people in decisionmaking. Her strategic approach to politics centers on e ective governance and building the agreements needed to solve real-world problems.

Throughout the Dominican Republic’s national transformation since 2020, Raquel Peña has embodied a steady leadership style that remains closely connected to the people she serves. Her leadership has played a pivotal role in advancing reforms focused on the nation’s well-being.