General Rafael Trujillo ruled in the Dominican Republic from 1930 until he was assassinated in 1961. He was President part of that time, for 8 years from 1930 to 1938, and again from 1942 to 1952. The rest of the time he was a military dictator. His nickname was “El Jefe” (the chief). Trujillo’s regime was brutal, especially as opposition to him increased. His secret police operation was very bloody.
Truijillo had an obsessive hatred of Venezuela’s President Betancourt, and made several efforts to have him overthrown or killed. These efforts, in addition to the murder of the Mirabal sisters (see Julia Alvarez’ book In the Time of the Butterflies) led to widespread opposition to Trujillo, not just in the Domincan Republic, but around the world. Finally, in 1961, Trujillo was shot to death by plotters who were backed by the CIA.
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