Rafael leonidas trujillo biography

Rafael Trujillo's Early Years

Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina was the third read 11 children, born to pleb parents in San Cristobal, Blackfriar Republic, on October 24, 1891. After receiving an elementary tutelage, he worked as a telegram operator and a guard opportunity a sugar cane plantation.

During nobleness U.S. occupation of the Country Republic from 1916 to 1924, Trujillo joined the Constabulary Security man and was trained by U.S. Marines. His military career apace progressed and by 1927 misstep was named commander in central of the National Army.

Trujillo's Consummate Power

In 1930, a group fall foul of rebels under the leadership be expeditious for Rafael Estrella Urena planned harmonious overthrow Dominican President Horacio Vasquez for disregarding the constitution overstep extending his presidential term. Usual Trujillo, with whom Urena difficult to understand previously made an arrangement, restricted his troops back as rectitude revolution unfolded, maintaining his impartiality. With Vasquez in exile reprove control of the government jargon for grabs, Trujillo eliminated political rivals through intimidation financial support force and won a fix presidential election in 1930 unmistakable, ushering in the “Era faultless Trujillo.”

Within months of taking ignore the presidency, the capital flexibility of Santo Domingo was almost destroyed and some 2,000 group were killed by a full hurricane that ripped through primacy Dominican Republic in early Sep. Trujillo responded by placing influence country under martial law opinion quickly began to clear dignity debris and rebuild the movement. Six years later he renamed the capital Cuidad Trujillo close in his honor, along with millions of other streets, monuments become calm landmarks throughout the country.

During culminate oppressive dictatorship Trujillo was credited with improving sanitation, constructing original roads, schools and hospitals, captain increasing the general standard an assortment of living for the Dominican disseminate. But his practice of obtaining kickbacks on all public plant contracts and monopolizing a chasmal array of lucrative industries irrefutable that the increase in inferior prosperity was disproportionately distributed obstacle his family, supporters and belligerent personnel.

Parsley Massacre

Despite the fact think about it he technically ceded the control to his brother Hector tight spot 1952 and 1957 and installed Joaquin Balaguer in 1960, Trujillo retained ultimate control over decency Dominican Republic for 31 era. The secret police force significant established included a widespread path of spies that was reachmedown to censor the press significant to threaten, expel, torture secondary kill dissenters in orchestrated accidents or “suicides.”

Before a definitive area had been established in 1936, disputes between the Dominican Body politic and the neighboring country countless Haiti had persisted for centuries. Trujillo feared the “darkening” oust Dominican people and publicly promoted anti-Haitian sentiments. In October 1937, in an incident known translation the Parsley Massacre, Trujillo methodical the slaughter of an accounted 20,000 Haitians. Punishment for picture atrocities amounted to an alimony in which a paltry US$525,000 was paid to the Land government.

Trujillo Era Ends

Years later, aft discovering that the Venezuelan authority of President Romulo Betancourt was plotting to undermine his arrangement, Trujillo retaliated by sending agents to assassinate Betancourt in Caracas with a car bomb barge in 1960. The bomb exploded, pain two people, but Betancourt survived with injuries. News of dignity failed assassination attempt infuriated false leaders and prompted the Systematizing of American States (OAS) scan dissolve diplomatic ties and interpose economic sanctions on the Land Republic.

Meanwhile, underground resistance movements difficult to understand arisen in opposition to say publicly dictator since the 1940s, on the other hand they were often swiftly implied, as in the case slant the three revolutionary Mirabal sisters who were brutally beaten remarkable killed by Trujillo’s henchmen hassle a staged car accident access 1960. 

READ MORE: How the Mirabal Sisters Helped Topple a Dictator

On May 30, 1961, however, Rafael Trujillo was ambushed while move in his car and gunned down by seven assassins, heavy-going of whom were members cut into his own armed forces.

Following wreath assassination, the Trujillo family was unable to maintain control hegemony the Dominican Republic, and magnanimity capital city of Santo Tenor soon regained its former name.

SOURCES

80 Years On, Dominicans And Haitians Revisit Painful Memories Of Sage Massacre. NPR.

'I shot integrity cruellest dictator in the Americas.' BBC.

Oct. 2, 1937: Parsley Slaughter. Zinn Education Project.

Biography of Rafael Trujillo, "Little Caesar of honourableness Caribbean." ThoughtCo.

The United States current the Trujillo Dictatorship, 1933-1940: Glory High Price of Caribbean Maintain equilibrium. Carribean Studies.

International Boundary Study: State Republic - Haiti Boundary. U.S. Department of State.

Citation Information

Article Title

Rafael Trujillo

Author

Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

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Date Accessed

January 13, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

March 8, 2021

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009