"El Jefe" - Rafael Trujillo

Descriptive Essay # 119435

History > Latin America
History > Leaders
Latin-American Studies

A look into the life at the rise and fall of the Dominican dictator, "El Jefe".

784 words () | 4 sources | MLA | 2010 | Canada

Published on: Apr 28, 2010

Paper Summary:

The "Trujillo Era", which lasted from 1930 to 1961, is considered by historians to be one of the bloodiest of the twenty-first century. This paper examines how through-out his thirty-one year rule, Trujillo was responsible for many murders and mysterious disappearances, including those of all that opposed him. The paper also discusses how he had a two-faced nature as he opened the doors of his country to Jewish immigrants during the war, and created many national parks and expanded nature preserves.

From the Paper:

"The rebellion against Trujillo's predecessor, Horacio Vasquez, began in 1930, when rebels marched on the capital, Santiago. Ordered to subdue the rebels, Trujillo's men met no trouble in their attempt. When Vasquez resigned his presidency, the rebel leader Rafael Estrella became the acting president of the Dominican Republic briefly. His new party, the Dominican Party, nominated Trujillo for the 1930 presidential election, and was elected, after receiving 95% of the votes. The sheer amount of votes suggests that he achieved his victory through fraudulent means. A judge, suggesting that the election was fraught with deception, was forced to escape the country. Wearing a sash declaring 'Dios y Trujillo', after his initiation ceremony on August 16, 1930, he assumed dictatorial powers, finally showing his true colors. "

Sample of Sources Used:

"Rafael Trujillo." Wikipedia. 2002. Web. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rafael_Le%C3%B3nidas_Trujillo_Molina>.
"Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina," Microsoft(r) Encarta(r) Online Encyclopedia 2009 http://ca.encarta.msn.com
"Dominican Republic." Encyclopaedia Britannica. 2009. Encyclopaedia Britannica Online. 04 Oct. 2009 <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/168728/Dominican-Republic>.
Pierre, Wadner. "Dominican Republic's Violence Against Haitians: Time to Act, Not Just Condemn | The Dominion ." The Dominion | news from the grassroots . 5 Oct. 2009 <http://www.dominionpaper.ca/weblogs/%5Buser%5D/2646>.