Bio[]
President Hernando Gonzalez Enriques Rodriguez is the temperamental president of the Hispanic Republic of Equarico, a small island nation or country near or in Central America. His family have all served as founders of their own kingdoms; his father, brother and even his mother becoming "fathers of their countries." However, Rodriguez is overthrown by dissidents in his country during a cabinet meeting and is exiled to the Island. Discovered by Gilligan, his gunshot alerts the others, who try to disarm him by getting him to use up his bullets; however, when he tries to execute Gilligan as an example to the others , he realizes he has already used up his bullets. Humbled and forlorn, the castaways welcome him onto their island. However, Rodriguez has a hard time adjusting to island life when he sees that the island has little political activity due to a small population. He tries to encourage the easily servile Gilligan to lead the others, but Gilligan has a dream where he fears Rodriguez only wants to use him to further his own power over the others. Gilligan wakes up and is ready to stand up for himself, only to see a motorboat with two sailors taking Rodriguez off the island. It turns out the loyalists have come to power once again and have come to retrieve him. The boat can only fit Rodriguez, but he promises to send his presidential yacht to rescue the castaways. However, once back in power in his country, Rodriguez's claims of controlling an island full of people results in his people to think him crazy, which spurs a counter-revolution which gets him removed from power again and exiled this time to the Andes, making the promised rescue of the castaways unlikely.
Trivia[]
- President Rodriguez was played by Israeli-born actor Nehemiah Persoff, who Sherwood Schwartz commented on was uncanny with his Spanish accent and natural comedic timing despite being known as a dramatic actor.
- This was one of the few instances a supporting character appeared in one of the castaways' dream sequences.