Raquel Patricia Arbaje Soneh de Abinader, known only as Raquel Arbaje, was born on September 21, 1970 in Santo Domingo, is a prominent businesswoman, children’s literature writer and current First Lady of the Dominican Republic since August 16, 2020, as the wife of President Luis Abinader. Her administration has been characterized by a focus on childhood, institutional transparency and direct social action.
Origin of Raquel Arbaje
Raquel Arbaje comes from a family of Lebanese origin. She is the daughter of businessman Elías Arbaje Farah, founder of a renowned mattress factory in the country, and Margarita Soneh Curi. She is the third of four siblings: Ricardo (deceased), Eduardo and Mónica. Her uncle, Bartolo Soni, was a professional boxer.
She married on March 11, 1995 to Luis Abinader, with whom she has had three daughters: Esther Patricia, with a degree in Public Relations and Marketing; Graciela Lucía, a student of Business and Political Science; and Adriana Margarita, a student of Psychology.
Academic background
She completed her primary and secondary education at the Colegio del Apostolado. In 1992, she obtained a degree in Business Administration, summa cum laude, from the Universidad Iberoamericana (UNIBE). Later, she completed diplomas in finance, marketing, senior management and foreign languages. She is fluent in English and French, and has knowledge of Italian and Portuguese.
Professional life
Since 1994, Arbaje has worked in family businesses, gaining experience in the business sector and also venturing into telecommunications. His training and leadership allowed him to strengthen the company’s vision with social sensitivity.
She has also been an enthusiastic promoter of art and values-based education. In 2005, she released the children’s album “Mi cajita de valores”, the proceeds of which were donated to charities such as Don Bosco.
Political and Social Commitment
Raquel Arbaje has been co-founder of the Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM), and is co-author of the party’s anthem, along with her husband. Since 2016 she became actively involved in her husband’s political campaigns, also promoting the participation of women and young people.
During the 2020 election campaign —marked by the COVID-19 pandemic— she participated in the management of donations and distribution of medical supplies to hospitals and health centers. In June of that year, both she and Luis Abinader tested positive for the coronavirus, from which they fully recovered.
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First Lady of the Dominican Republic
She assumed the role of First Lady on August 16, 2020. Since then, she has given an institutional turn to the figure, opting to reduce the budget of the Office of the First Lady, proposing a more efficient and focused scheme.
Raquel Arbaje presides the Childhood and Adolescence Cabinet, with the aim of reducing teenage pregnancy and early unions. Her focus is on the restitution of rights and prevention programs for minors in vulnerable situations.
Through its office, it also channels direct assistance to citizens and collaborates with public and private institutions to resolve urgent situations of health, education, and well-being.
