Raquel Arbaje
Raquel Patricia Arbaje Soneh de Abinader is a Dominican businesswoman and children's literature writer. She has served as the First Lady of the Dominican Republic, since August 2020 as the wife of President Luis Abinader.
Early life
Arbaje is the daughter of businessman Elías Arbaje Farah and Margarita Soneh Curi, who were both of Lebanese descent. Her uncle Bartolo Soni, older brother of Margarita, was a professional boxer. She is the third of four siblings. Her father was a businessman who manufactured mattresses.Education
Arbaje graduated summa cum laude with business administration degree from the Universidad Iberoamericana in Santo Domingo. She speaks fluent Spanish, English, and French, and has some knowledge of Italian and Portuguese.Arbaje is a businesswoman and author of children's literature. She also recorded a song, "'Mi cajita de valores", with the proceeds benefiting the Don Bosco children's nonprofit.
Personal life
She married economist Luis Abinader. Together, the couple have three children – Esther Patricia, Graciela Lucía, and Adriana Margarita Abinader Arbaje.Together with Abinader, Arbaje composed the anthem for the Modern Revolutionary Party, which was co-founded by her husband in 2014.
In June 2020, both Arbaje and Abinader tested positive for COVID-19 during the 2020 presidential election campaign. Both recovered from the coronavirus.