Orlando Jorge Mera

Orlando Jorge Mera (Santiago de los Caballeros, 22 November 1966 – Santo Domingo, 6 June 2022) was a lawyer, journalist and politician from the Dominican Republic.

Early life, family and education

His parents were Dominican Republic President Salvador Jorge Blanco and First Lady Asera Altagracia Mera Checo.

Jorge Mera studied at the San Ignacio de Loyola school, graduating in 1984. In 1991,he received a degree in Law, Summa Cum Laude, from the Pontifical Catholic University Mother and Teacher (PUCMM). He was a professor of Media Law; Administrative Law and Introduction to Law, both at PUCMM and at the Universidad Iberoamericana (UNIBE).

Career

Jorge was coordinator of various Permanent Commissions of the Senate of the Dominican Republic, from 1998 to 2000. He was also, coordinator of the National Commission for the Protection of Intellectual Property Rights, representing the country in various world scenarios in this field.

From 2000 to 2004 he was Director of the Instituto Dominicano de las Telecomunicaciones (INDOTEL).

He became founding member of the Modern Revolutionary Party in 2014.

Personal life

He was married to Patricia Villegas, Ambassador of the Dominican Republic to Brazil, and they had one son (Orlando Salvador Jorge Villegas) and one daughter (Patricia Victoria Jorge Villegas).

Assassination

He was assassinated in his office by Miguel Cruz, a construction businessman (whose company extracted stone materials from rivers) and owner of an armory who was affected by Jorge’s strict environmental policies against the depredation of rivers.

They were childhood friends, since Cruz’s father was Chief of the General Staff of President Jorge Blanco, Jorge Mera’s father.

Dominican President Luis Abinader decreed 3 days of national mourning.