Culture
Dictators as a species are a weird bunch, though possibly none as completely insane as Dominican psychopath and megalomaniac Rafael Trujillo. For thirty years the Dominican Republic lived under this madman's reign of terror until he was finally put down like a rabid dog. Rafael Trujillo is our dictator for today.
Trujillo started out like many a Latin American strongman, as a military man. In 1930 a rebellion broke out against President Vazquez in Santiago and Trujillo was sent to put the rebellion down. Trujillo entered the city with little resistance and was hailed as a hero. Seeing his opportunity Trujillo had himself put forward as a candidate in the newly created Dominican party in the presidential election. Needles to say he stole the election claiming 95% of the vote...which is impossible. He he assumed the presidency wearing a sash that said "God and Trujillo", which pretty much was an indication of the insanity to come.
Trujillo was not unlike many ancient despots such as Nero or Caligula in that he thought he was God. Not little "g" god, but big "G" God. Trujillo once changed a poster that was plastered around Santo Domingo from "God in Heaven and Trujillo on Earth" to "Trujillo on Earth and God in Heaven." He renamed Santo Domingo into Ciudad Trujillo and put statues of himself everywhere. The newspapers were required by law to have a front page picture of him every day and "Viva Trujillo!" was written on license plates. That is grade-A 100% madness, amigo.
His megalomania was only the beginning, as he set about one of the bloodiest dictatorships in the history of Latin America. Wishing to seize control of the entire island of Hispañola, he engineered attacks on the Haitian border that led to at least 30,000 deaths. His secret police force the SIM, were merciless thugs who would torture and kill anyone who Trujillo even thought might consider the idea of displeasing him. He and his band of psychos were known to troll the countryside for beautiful young women to rape and murder. Most notorious was the death of the three Mirabal sisters, who were brutally tortured to death for opposing Trujillo's regime, sparking international outrage. It seems like something out of a horror story, but as any Dominican can tell you it was all too true.
In 1961 the people and the United States had had enough of this jackass and the CIA helped a group of plotters to assassinate Trujillo. The United States had tolerated Trujillo because he stood as a buffer against communist encroachment in Latin America, but in spite of being the same year as the Cuban Missile Crisis, the U.S. decided Cold War Politics needed to take a backseat to getting rid of this asswipe. He was shot dead in his car in May of 1961 and his thug apparatus began to be undone. Trujillo was buried in Pere Lechaise cemetery in Paris along with Oscar Wilde, Victor Hugo, and later Jim Morrison. He died a self important fuckwad to the end.
Rafael Trujillo has a lesson to teach us about the dangers of demagogues. The minute you bow down to any man, no matter how much he promises to help you, you become their slave. Rulers like Trujillo have existed since the beginning of civilization and are likely to crop up again. So, if you here someone comparing themselves to god, you are within your rights to bash their head in with a brick. We give you permission.
Get To Know Your Dictator: Rafael Trujillo
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17 Jul 2009 | 20:43
Comments: 11
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Dictators as a species are a weird bunch, though possibly none as completely insane as Dominican psychopath and megalomaniac Rafael Trujillo. For thirty years the Dominican Republic lived under this madman's reign of terror until he was finally put down like a rabid dog. Rafael Trujillo is our dictator for today.
Trujillo started out like many a Latin American strongman, as a military man. In 1930 a rebellion broke out against President Vazquez in Santiago and Trujillo was sent to put the rebellion down. Trujillo entered the city with little resistance and was hailed as a hero. Seeing his opportunity Trujillo had himself put forward as a candidate in the newly created Dominican party in the presidential election. Needles to say he stole the election claiming 95% of the vote...which is impossible. He he assumed the presidency wearing a sash that said "God and Trujillo", which pretty much was an indication of the insanity to come.
Trujillo was not unlike many ancient despots such as Nero or Caligula in that he thought he was God. Not little "g" god, but big "G" God. Trujillo once changed a poster that was plastered around Santo Domingo from "God in Heaven and Trujillo on Earth" to "Trujillo on Earth and God in Heaven." He renamed Santo Domingo into Ciudad Trujillo and put statues of himself everywhere. The newspapers were required by law to have a front page picture of him every day and "Viva Trujillo!" was written on license plates. That is grade-A 100% madness, amigo.
His megalomania was only the beginning, as he set about one of the bloodiest dictatorships in the history of Latin America. Wishing to seize control of the entire island of Hispañola, he engineered attacks on the Haitian border that led to at least 30,000 deaths. His secret police force the SIM, were merciless thugs who would torture and kill anyone who Trujillo even thought might consider the idea of displeasing him. He and his band of psychos were known to troll the countryside for beautiful young women to rape and murder. Most notorious was the death of the three Mirabal sisters, who were brutally tortured to death for opposing Trujillo's regime, sparking international outrage. It seems like something out of a horror story, but as any Dominican can tell you it was all too true.
In 1961 the people and the United States had had enough of this jackass and the CIA helped a group of plotters to assassinate Trujillo. The United States had tolerated Trujillo because he stood as a buffer against communist encroachment in Latin America, but in spite of being the same year as the Cuban Missile Crisis, the U.S. decided Cold War Politics needed to take a backseat to getting rid of this asswipe. He was shot dead in his car in May of 1961 and his thug apparatus began to be undone. Trujillo was buried in Pere Lechaise cemetery in Paris along with Oscar Wilde, Victor Hugo, and later Jim Morrison. He died a self important fuckwad to the end.
Rafael Trujillo has a lesson to teach us about the dangers of demagogues. The minute you bow down to any man, no matter how much he promises to help you, you become their slave. Rulers like Trujillo have existed since the beginning of civilization and are likely to crop up again. So, if you here someone comparing themselves to god, you are within your rights to bash their head in with a brick. We give you permission.
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Comments
For an entertaining yet poignant examination of the fuck fest that was the Trujillo regime, you should read "The Feast of the Goat" by Mario Vargas Llosa - it is an amazing character study of Trujillo as well as a unique display of the significant impact his rise, fall, and death had on the Dominican Republic, the Caribbean, and the Western Hemisphere.... But you don't have to take my word for it...
ReplyThe dictators feautured are getting progressively more assholish!
ReplyWhy was he burried next to Oscar Wilde? Is that what inspired Junot Diaz to nickname his character Oscar Wao, in The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao?
Replythese dicktator posts are my absolute favorite <3
ReplyIs this when the Dominicanos started leaving and screwing up New York and Puerto Rico?
ReplyYou might want to add Roberto Michelleti to your list, followed by Gen Vasquez, who will replace Roberto Michelleti
ReplyMicheletti is the first of the posts. Check it http://guanabee.com/2009/07/get-know-your-dictator-roberto-micheletti
ReplyNah, Puerto Rico was already screwed up when that happened
ReplyYou should've added a paragraph about his son Ramfis, who succeeded his father after the assasination for about five minutes and whose only action was finding the men who killed Trujillo, cutting them into bite sized pieces and then personally feeding them to the sharks in the Caribbean Sea. After that he hauled ass to France with $4 Million and was also eventually killed by the CIA in Spain.
ReplyI'm not sure everyone would agree he was insane. His son yes - clinically insane actually - attended sanitarium in Belgium I think. Speak to older Dominicans though, a generation who can remember Trujillos rule. Many prefer the 'old days and old ways'. For them - they could walk down a street without fear of being mugged by a thief on a motoconcho. You must agree DR is in a worse position now than it was during El Jefes reign. During his reign was the only time the Peso was worth the same as a Dollar. Sure, people got killed, thats not good - but what leader isn't authorising killings right now? Obama is killing in the middle east, its just that Trujillo got up close and personal - is that worse or more honest? Plus the Haitians were given seven long years to stop coming over the border - they failed to listen or work towards a suitable goal. Even today they still come over illegally. I wonder what the US would do to Mexicans without a huge wall to defend themselves. The word Massacre comes to mind. "Rulers like Trujillo have existed since the beginning of civilization and are likely to crop up again. So, if you here someone comparing themselves to god" Here do you mean the man that created the Republics first highways, bridges, schools, hospitals, telephones and transport systems, even tourism & welfare to help the poor? You could say he was better than God, as God failed to do anything for the people. Whereas Trujillo tried. DR is still without 'God' - I've seen pregnant women begging on the Malecon - starving children 'renting' themselves. But its okay because Leonel has his train set and the crooks just bribe the corrupt police. The poor man now pays vehicle related fines, whilst the rich dodge prison for fraud, corruption and underhand deals. The difference between Democracy and Dictatorship is - for the latter you only deal with one thief, where the former is a nest of thieves, it has many heads, you cut off one, and its replaced by another. Ironically, I prefer the honesty of the former thief. He stands then he falls - with Democracy he hides, we can't get to him and his nest of vipers do as they please behind the smoke and mirrors of 'Democracy'. Maybe you could write a column on "Get to know your lying Democrat" The world is full of them. Wasn't the US president before last a Dictator? He wasn't voted for Democratically. He didn't get the most votes - and yet he wages war against 'Dictators'. PS. His body is no longer in Paris. It was moved to the family tomb in Madrid years ago.
Reply^"So, if you here someone comparing themselves to god, you are within your rights to bash their head in with a brick. We give you permission." When someone figure out who this Guest who posted above me is...bash his fa(c)king head in. It's ok. Guanabee gave permission.
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