Elías Sosa Domínguez

Elías Bernardo Sosa Domínguez
President of Arrecife
In office 10 October 2020 – 9 March 2021
Vice President	Teresa Gallo Zavala
Preceded by	Camilo Flores Velázquez
Succeeded by	Teresa Gallo Zavala
In office 24 October 2008 – 10 October 2012
Vice President	Alfonso Vela Simón
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Alfonso Vela Simón
Congressman
In office 10 October 2012 – 10 October 2020
Personal details
Born	(1983-01-15)January 15, 1983 Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico
Died	March 9, 2021(2021-03-09) (aged 38) Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico
Political party	Independence
Domestic partner	Isabel López Rojo (m. 2004–2021)

Elías Bernardo Sosa Domínguez (15 January 1983 – 9 March 2021) was a co-founder of Arrecife who served as its 1st and 4th President from 2008 to 2012 and again from 2020 until his death in office in 2021.

Sosa, with co-founder Alfonso Vela Simón, dominated Arrecife's early years. First elected president at independence in 2008, his political beliefs and philosophy largely shaped the micronation. After completing two terms as president and being constitutionally required to sit out another term before seeking re-election, Sosa declined Vela's invitation to become his vice president and instead served in Congress where he became Majority Leader for his Independence Party, which had controlled the Congress of Arrecife since independence. After serving as a Majority Leader for four terms, Sosa chose to run for the presidency for a third term in 2020; becoming the first person to serve non-consecutive terms as president and the first person elected to a third term.

Sosa died in office on 9 March 2021 and was succeeded by Vice President Teresa Gallo Zavala, who had been serving as Acting President since his hospitalization on February 26.

Early life

Elías Bernardo Sosa Domínguez was born on 15 January 1983 in Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico. He was the eldest child of Elías Bernardo Sosa Moreno (born 1947; died 2020) and Yolanda Chavarría Cantú (born 1964), and had two younger sisters: Yenifer (born 1985) and Catalina (born 1991). Sosa graduated bachillerato ("high school") with strong grades and got employed as an administrative assistant in an accountancy firm in 2004. While attending school, Sosa met his best friend and future vice president, Alfonso Vela Simón, as well as his future girlfriend and mother of his child, Isabel López Rojo.

Establishment of Arrecife

Sosa became interested in micronations in 2008 when he read about Sealand while studying politics. He and Simón, who was also interested in politics and history, decided to establish their own micronation built on their own values. They put their plan into action while on vacation in Banco Chinchorro in October 2008.

The Constitution of Arrecife was drafted by the two men. Their partnership and policy direction was dubbed the Sosa–Vela doctrine and it dominated the early life of the micronation, defining politics.

Personal life

Sosa met Isabel López Rojo (born 1983) while attending school. The two began dating in 2004. In 2005, López became pregnant and the two married in August of that year. Their son, Alejandro, was born on February 26, 2006. López became pregnant again in late 2006 and gave birth to another son, Diego, on 1 May 2007. A third pregnancy 2010 was ectopic and resulted in the couple losing what would have been a baby girl. Sosa and López separated in December 2019 and lived apart until they officially divorced in February 2021.

Sosa's father died in October 2020 from COVID-19, aged 72.

Death

Sosa was hospitalized on 26 February 2021 (also his eldest son's 15th birthday) after being found unresponsive at his home by his sisters. He died on 9 March 2021, aged 38. His family confirmed he had been suffering from depression since the death of his father and the final breakdown of his marriage, and that his death was suicide by self-inflicted gunshot. His funeral took place on March 11. President Gallo declared it an official state funeral.