On Thursday, 15 February, the hot rumor in Santo Domingo was that former President and Partido Revolucionario Independencia (PRI) leader Jacobo Majluta had died. Press reports later indicated he was in severe pain in a Tampa cancer center. Earlier reports on Sunday, 11 February had indicated that Mr Majluta, who has been convalescing in a Florida apartment for months, had returned to an intensive care unit. Héctor Guzmán, vice president of the PRI, said he was surprised because the previous Thursday he had spoken with Mr Majluta. “He was in a good mood,” said Héctor Guzmán, and added that the PRI leader told him he was recovering, that he was “on the other side.”
The report of his admission to intensive care was denied the next day by Mrs. Ana Elisa Villanueva de Majluta, who said he had gone to the hospital for a stomach infection but was back at his Miami apartment the next day.
Jose Francisco Peña Gomez said he had spoken to Jacobo Majluta, and denied the reports of his admission to an intensive care unit. “It is true that Mr Majluta went to the hospital last Sunday, but it was for something simple. He had stomach problems and was treated at the hospital for three hours after which he returned to his apartment,” said Dr Peña Gómez. He also said that he had plans to travel to Miami to meet with Mr Majluta and inform him of latest developments in the recent confederation of the PRD and PRI.
In January, Jacobo Majluta had authorized his party to give full support to the presidential candidacy of José Francisco Peña Gómez. They later met in Miami, an encounter that was said to be very emotive, due to the fact that both are affected by life threatening cancers. Mr Majluta has never admitted to having cancer, and Dr Peña Gómez says he has recovered.