President Luis Abinader celebrated on Wednesday, 2 February 2022 the Dominican nationality granted to 79-year old former Spanish Prime Minister Felipe Gonzalez Marquez. He received the nationalization via Decree 42-22, issued on 2 February 2022 and a procedure of privileged naturalization. The Presidency says the naturalization was granted to Gonzalez due to his efforts to strengthen relations between Spain and Latin America, and especially with the Dominican Republic, for his love for the Dominican people.
President Luis Abinader stated that González Márquez gave dignity to thousands of Dominicans by favoring them at the beginning of 1990 with their regularization. “You are, without a doubt, dear Felipe, one more Latin American, a son of this land. And from today, a Dominican with whom I feel honored to share the same identity card,” said the President. He added that “thanks to you and the policies developed during your governments, the Dominican diaspora found the support it needed with the enactment in 1985 of the first Law on Foreigners, with which Spain paid attention to the unprecedented phenomenon of migratory flows”.
President Abinader said during the ceremony that thanks to González’s determination, today the Dominican Republic has a thriving Dominican community in Spain, which is recognized in its essence, which interacts bidirectionally with the Spanish people, and which serves as a bridge between two sister nations, whose exceptional relations could not be better.
On his part, González Marquez said that no distinction moves him more than receiving the Dominican nationality.
He emphasized that in his 60 years of political activity, 40 of them have been of a continuous relationship with the country. He mentioned that there are many links he has had with the country and that he has always been available for the Dominican Republic.
He had praise for the way President Abinader has been handling the Covid-19 pandemic, bringing certainty to the Dominican people.
Gonzalez served as prime minister from 1982 to 1996. He remains the longest-serving prime minister of Spain to be freely elected. He was also the secretary general of the who was the Secretary-General of the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) from 1974 to 1997.
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3 February 2022