Rafael Trujillo

Rafael Trujillo (born October 24, 1891, San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic—died May 30, 1961, Ciudad Trujillo [now Santo Domingo]) was the dictator of the Dominican Republic from 1930 until his assassination in 1961.

Trujillo entered the Dominican army in 1918 and was trained by U.S. Marines during the U.S. occupation (1916–24) of the country. He rose from lieutenant to commanding colonel of the national police between 1919 and 1925, becoming a general in 1927. Trujillo seized power in the military revolt against Pres. Horacio Vásquez in 1930. From that time until his assassination 31 years later, Trujillo remained in absolute control of the Dominican Republic through his command of the army, by placing family members in office, and by having many of his political opponents murdered. He served officially as president from 1930 to 1938 and again from 1942 to 1952.

Competent in business, capable in administration, and ruthless in politics, Trujillo—who was nicknamed El Jefe (“The Boss”)—brought a degree of peace and prosperity to the republic that it had not previously enjoyed. However, the benefits of economic modernization were inequitably distributed in favor of Trujillo and his favorites and supporters. Moreover, the people of the country paid for the prosperity with the loss of their civil and political liberties. Haitians living in the Dominican Republic suffered acutely. Trujillo encouraged anti-Haitian prejudice among Dominicans, and in 1937 he ordered the massacre of thousands of Haitian migrants.

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Dominican Republic: The Trujillo regime

In spite of the harsh measures that Trujillo took to protect his power, domestic opposition—spearheaded by the Mirabal sisters, among others—continued to grow during the later years of his regime. He also came under considerable foreign pressure to liberalize his rule. He began to lose support in the army, which led to his assassination by machine-gun fire as he was being driven to his San Cristóbal farm, an event referred to in the Dominican Republic as his ajusticimiento, meaning an execution that brings justice. Many of the supposed assassins, including Gen. J.T. Díaz, were subsequently captured and executed.