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NUESTRO HOMENAJE Y RECONOCIMIENTO
Es digno de admiración el valor que tuvieron no pocos periodistas y editores de la prensa internacional en denunciar frontalmente a Trujillo y a su peligrosísimo régimen por sus terrorismo despiadado, su corrupción y sus robos, su totalitarismo, su vulgar egolatría y su aventurerismo internacional cuando era consabido que Trujillo era un tirano vengativo, un soberbio narcisista que no toleraba ningún tipo de crítica y que no conocía límites a la hora de cobrar su venganza en cualquier rincón del continente e, incluso, en otras regiones del mundo.
Ante esa amenaza real de funestas represalias por cualquier crítica o denuncia, impresiona que tantos periodistas, intelectuales y editores no se amedrentaran y cumplieron con el deber moral de denunciar los crímenes y abusos con que Trujillo, uno de los peores déspotas de la historia, se aferraba al poder. Sabían que ellos hablaban por todo un pueblo silente, aislado y doblegado por el estado de terror más totalitario del mundo y el más eficiente en cuanto al control sobre la población.
No es difícil concluir que no hubo un reclamo más amplio y universal en los medios de todo el continente y en otras regiones porque, a través de la amenaza real de dosificar funestas represalias, Trujillo logró su propósito de intimidar y de hundir en un silencio encubridor a gran parte de la prensa internacional, tal como lo había logrado plenamente en la prensa nacional, a la perfección, recurriendo a los métodos más repulsivos.
Además, esos dignos periodistas e intelectuales tampoco sucumbieron a los jugosos sobornos que los diligentes agentes de Trujillo en el exterior ofrecían ya sea para comprar su silencio o para que fueran más allá y se unieran al entusiasta coro de alabanceros internacionales, tal como ocurrió con numerosos periódicos y periodistas de Estados Unidos, México, Cuba, Venezuela (los países que representaban la mayor amenaza) y otros países de la región y fuera de ésta. Se sabe que Trujillo gastó una importante parte de su fortuna comprando a políticos, militares, periodistas, intelectuales, agentes y lobbyists en muchos países. En eso el Perínclito fue muy generoso desde que subió al poder.
Es por todo lo anterior que les rendimos un tributo de reconocimiento y agradecimiento a aquellos periodistas, intelectuales y políticos en el exterior que asumieron ese riesgo de sufrir nefastas consecuencias de muerte, amenazas o difamación para convertirse en la voz de denuncia del pueblo más oprimido del continente. Entre tantos que podemos mencionar, se destacan Jesús de Galíndez, Andrés Requena, José Almoina, Rómulo Betancourt, Albert Hicks, José Figueres, Juan José Arévalo, Jack Anderson, General Johnson, Drew Pearson, el congresista Charles Porter, los editores de la revista Bohemia de Cuba, del periódico El Tiempo de Colombia, todos ellos hombres solidarios y de principios quienes no nos abandonaron en las tres décadas en que estuvimos aislados y cautivos en la isla del terror trujillista. Honor y Gloria.
Los editores de Crónicas del Trujillato
Conversación en Nueva York con Gustavo Ureña, hermano de
Estrella Ureña, en 1937:
Diciembre 9, 1937, pg. 31
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1144&dat=19371209&id=RmIbAAAAIBAJ&sjid=P0wEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1468,2458670
Carta desde la frontera describiendo detalles sobre la Masacre de Perejíl (1937)
Periódico: Lewiston Evening Journal
Fecha: Noviembre 29, 1937
Página: 4
Por razones obvias de seguridad para el testigo quien todavía se encontraba en la isla, el doctor Lendfest atinadamente omitió el nombre del firmante, un misionero norteamericano amigo del Dr. Lendfest, según otros artículos. Recordemos el asesinato en 1938 del obispo Charles Barnes, misionero anglicano, por haberles escrito una carta a sus parientes en Estados Unidos en la que denunciaba la masacre de los haitianos, así como muchos otros que fueron asesinados por denunciar los crímenes de la dictadura, aunque solo escribieran breves comentarios.
Busquen este artículo en:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1913&dat=19371129&id=uJk0AAAAIBAJ&sjid=0GkFAAAAIBAJ&pg=853,4822444
Febrero 3, 1937
Ya en 1937 Trujillo tenia fama internacional de ser un gran sanguinario.
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1144&dat=19370201&id=H-UdAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JEwEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1849,2040639
TRES ARTICULOS ALTAMENTE RECOMENDADOS:
Les recomendamos que tomen nota de los siguientes artículos de gran valor debido a que la tendencia es a remover los periódicos del Google News Archive y pasarlos a los archivos de empresas privadas que cobran por solo leer el artículo, sin revisión previa de lo que trata el artículo. No sabemos hasta cuando tendremos este privilegio de revisar libremente los más de mil artículos que hemos puesto a su disposición en este portal. Noten, lectores, que ya en 1937 y en 1938 se conocían íntimamente los crímenes, abusos, explotación y despiadada represión del régimen.
The dark, strong man of the Caribbean: Al igual que los dos siguientes artículos, es impresionante la cantidad de información concreta que tenía la prensa internacional sobre los métodos de represión y explotación que usaba el régimen en contra del pueblo dominicano. Este artículo fue publicado en 1937. Este es el link:
https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1499&dat=19371220&id=Ky4xAAAAIBAJ&sjid=DSIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6982,3099634&hl=en
Peculiar People: Este extenso artículo es sumamente informativo y revelador publicado en 1938 pero es demasiado largo para reproducirlo aqui. Pueden ir al siguiente link. Ese link los lleva a la tercera página del artículo. Tienen que retroceder 2 páginas a la página electronica no. 34 para llegar al principio del artículo:
https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1368&dat=19380730&id=0INSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Pw0EAAAAIBAJ&pg=7337,4844880&hl=en
Trujillo, Tyrant of the Antilles: Este extenso artículo fue publicado en 1946 en tres partes. Es una condensación de un famoso informe publicado en 1946 en el Reader's Digest. Pueden encontrar las tres partes en los siguientes tres links:
Parte I:
https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=hefNtdE4IMkC&dat=19460705&printsec=frontpage&hl=en
Parte II:
https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=hefNtdE4IMkC&dat=19460708&printsec=frontpage&hl=en
Parte III:
https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=757&dat=19460712&id=F7BNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=lkMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6227,198533&hl=en
Este artículo dice, entre muchas otras críticas al tirano, que el régimen de Trujillo se le conoce ampliamente como "la vergüenza del Caribe". Además, presenta una interesante lista de articulos y escritos publicados que exponen la violencia y la vileza del régimen.
OPINION
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=N2osnxbUuuUC&dat=19490703&printsec=frontpage&hl=en
Citas de un artículo en el New York Times de 1957:
Mayo 21, 1957, pg 24 (AGN 14)
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=BZGggv0hN9sC&dat=19570521&printsec=frontpage&hl=en
Febrero 17, 1959, pg 10A
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=71XFh8zZwT8C&dat=19590216&printsec=frontpage&hl=en
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=N2osnxbUuuUC&dat=19600609&printsec=frontpage&hl=en
LA PRENSA DOMINICANA COMPLETAMENTE CONTROLADA
Los dos periódicos publicados en la Era de Trujillo que todavía están en circulación actualmente son El Caribe y el Listín Diario. El primero continuó en operaciones ininterrumpidamente durante y después del ajusticiamiento de Trujillo hasta hoy. El antiguo Listín Diario había desaparecido en la década de lo cuarentas por presiones de la dictadura y aislamiento económico y reabrió sus puertas en la década de los sesentas. Lamentablemente, ninguno de los dos ha colocado en la red sus viejas ediciones en copias fotostáticas. Por suerte, logramos obtener estos recortes de parte de un amigo que nos los ha proporcionado y por medio de nuestras búsquedas en la red.
Junio 9, 1961
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1314&dat=19610609&id=zdgqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=-OcDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2430,3240217
Febrero 13, 1962, pg. 11A
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2206&dat=19620213&id=HmtVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=3D4NAAAAIBAJ&pg=3222,5011992
Febrero 12, 1962 - pg 3 y 24
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=gqw4OU68NNkC&dat=19620212&printsec=frontpage&hl=en
Enero 14, 1962 - pg 11
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=gqw4OU68NNkC&dat=19620114&printsec=frontpage&hl=en
REVISTA ¡AHORA!
Revista Ahora!, No. 63, 10 de Julio, 1964, pg 9-11
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La Tiranía Trujillista Vista por Ojos Extranjeros:
El siguiente artículo sobre el régimen totalitario
trujillista fue publicado en la edición del 8 de febrero de 1958 de la revista AWAKE!
del Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society de Estados Unidos. Describe fielmente
el ambiente de terror y opresión en que vivía el pueblo dominicano visto por los
ojos de extranjeros.
Lamentablemente, para descargar el número de la revista
en que se encuentra este artículo, es necesario descargar el pdf completo de
todas las ediciones de AWAKE! que fueron publicadas en el ano 1958. Tenemos entendido que dichas
ediciones contienen otros artículos sobre la dictadura de Trujillo. Si los
lectores los encuentran, por favor informarnos a cronicasdeltrujillato@gmail.com
para poder incluirlos en esta hemeroteca si valen la pena. Para leer este mismo artículo online, pueden ir al siguiente link y buscar las páginas 16-20 de la edición del 8 de febrero de 1958 de dicha revista:
http://archive.org/stream/1958Awake/1958_Awake_djvu.txt
También pueden encontrar la versión para descargar en su computadora en pdf de este artículo en la edición del 8 de febrero de 1958 de Awake! Solo pueden descargar
todas las ediciones de 1958 en un solo pdf, no individualmente. Pueden ir a google y buscar: wtarchive.svhelden.info/archive/en/Awake/g1958.pdf
DOMINICAN
REPUBLIC: POLICE STATE WITH A CONSTITUTION
8 de febrero de 1958 (pgs. 16-20)
AWAKE! (The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society)
The West Indian country of the Dominican Republic is a land worth visiting for the beauty of its landscape. Yet Dominican tourist trade has slumped. Even the addition of a world's fair failed to improve matters. For the 1955-56 fair the Dominican government built a dozen or so handsome buildings and twenty-five foreign nations built others. After Dominicans paid a visit to the exhibits, there were sometimes hardly more than a few dozen persons on the 125 acres of landscaped grounds.
The
dictator's name is well known, since the capital city of the country, Ciudad
Trujillo, bears his name. His full title is Generalissimo Doctor Rafael
Leonidas Trujillo Molina. In 1937 the Dominican Congress conferred upon the
generalissimo the title 'Benefactor of the Fatherland." In 1940 the
Congress designated the period of his rule as the "Era of Trujillo."
In 1955 the Congress gave him another title: Father of the New
Fatherland."
Generalissimo
Trujillo was born October 24, 1891, in the little town of San Cristobal, about
twenty miles from the capital. He enlisted in the national guard during the
American military occupation. When the occupation ended, Trujillo was a
captain. He rose rapidly from rank to rank. As he did, he gave men jobs in the
army at better pay than they were accustomed to. He picked men carefully and
made it plain that they owed their army jobs to him. By 1930 Trujillo
had created a personal army, an army whose loyalty he held with an iron hand.
In 1930 he marched to the presidency with his army behind him. By maintaining supreme command of the army, the generalissimo has retained absolute power.
As absolute
dictator, Trujillo has the power to do good. Mussolini made the trains run on
time, Hitler built a fine system of roads and Trujillo has built roads for his
country. He has done more: he has caused his country to make great strides in
public health and sanitation. His regime has built more than thirty modern
hospitals and many clinics. But material gains are not enough. As with most dictatorships
it is in the realm of personal freedom that the people suffer most. Trujillo's
dictatorship has been no exception, despite the fact that his country is called
a "republic."
Constitution
versus Reality Seldom does a prospective tourist realize what a tight dictatorship the Dominican Republic is. If he visits a Dominican government agency he may obtain literature that paints the country to be a picture of democracy. A booklet published by the consulate general of the Dominican Republic in New York city is called This Is the Dominican Republic. From it the reader learns that the country has a constitution, of which the booklet says on page nineteen: "The Constitution of the Dominican Republic guarantees: the inviolability of life; freedom of religion and conscience; freedom of education; the right o the free expression of thoughts without previous censorship; , . . the right of ownership; the inviolability of mail and other private documents; , . . freedom of transit; . . - individual security; ..."
The democratic
machinery with its congress and constitution, however, functions only as
Trujillo pushes the buttons and pulls the levers. Indeed it is, as the big
brass plate beside the entrance of many a hotel states: "En esta casa,
Trujillo es jefe" ("In this house, Trujillo is boss").
Those who have
lived in the Dominican Republic will tell you that the statement on the brass
plate is strictly true.
A look at
some aspects of the Dominican constitution, comparing them with reality, will
underscore the truthfulness of the brass plate's motto. Take, for instance, the
"inviolability of life.” Is human life sacred in the Dominican Republic? A
comment on this comes from a historical event known as "the Haitian
massacre."
Haiti is a
country that occupies the western third of Hispaniola. In the 1930's there was
considerable frontier trouble between the two countries. A great number of Haitians
moved into Dominican territory, seeking employment. Some worked seasonally in
the sugar cane plantations, others wandered about aimlessly. At dawn one morning
in October, 1937, Trujillo’s troops attacked at sixty-five prearranged
points.
The massacre
was on. Thousands of Haitians were killed in the most cold-blooded manner. Some
were shot outright, being herded into ditches and machine-gunned. Some were
clubbed. Some were hacked to death with machetes. Troops plunged bayonets into
women, children and babies just as readily as they did into the men. The massacre
was unspeakably gory, and native Dominicans to this day speak of how the
"rivers ran with blood." Most accounts of the massacre place the
death toll at between 12,000 to 20,000.
The outcry
throughout the world was great. For a while it appeared that world opinion
might topple Trujillo from power, Washington did little, however, except express
horror and insist that the Dominican Republic pay Haiti an indemnity of $750,000.
The Trujillo government agreed to pay the price — about $62.50 for each person
massacred! Strangely enough, months later the original agreement was modified
and the indemnity was reduced to $450,000, Trujillo finally paying about $37.50
for each victim.
Religious
Persecution
A current
comment on the "inviolability of life" in the Dominican Republic is
the recent religious persecution of Jehovah's witnesses. In the issue of
October 22, 1957, Awake! told of the brutal beatings suffered by Dominican
witnesses of Jehovah because they would not renounce their faith and rejoin the
Roman Catholic Church. More than fifty Dominican witnesses of Jehovah are in
jail; and the Trujillo government, like Communist governments, has banned the
work of Jehovah's witnesses. It is clear that "freedom of religion and conscience"
in the Dominican Republic is a casualty of the "Era of Trujillo.”
It is also
apparent that the Dominican Republic has a state religion and that that
religion is Roman Catholic. As a result, even Trujillo's government hospitals
are run by the church. The nuns exert a powerful influence. Sometimes a
Protestant gets in, but when the nuns find the patient is a Protestant they
make so much trouble the non-Catholic usually goes to some private clinic for
treatment.
An article
in Harper's magazine told about the generalissimo's relationship with the Roman
Catholic Church: "Ostensibly Trujillo is now a Catholic. In 1954 he traveled
to Rome to sign a Concordat with the Pope, and Catholicism is the official religion
of the Dominican Republic. Presumably, Trujillo joined the church because his
wife, whom he had wed in a civil ceremony, wanted to sanctify their union.
Having been twice divorced, Trujillo was not a likely candidate for a Catholic
wedding but he somehow won the necessary indulgences and the rites were
performed on August 9, 1955. That the Roman Catholic Church places great
importance on the concordat is evident from the eulogies of priests. One of
them in Britain, priest M. McNarney, wrote; "June 16th, 1956, marks the
second anniversary of the signing of the Concordat between the Holy See and the
noble Dominican Republic. It should be a day of joy and jubilation not only for
the sons of the Republic but for faithful Catholics throughout the world."
Just how
far-reaching the effects of the concordat are may be seen in many ways. In
August, 1957, ten American citizens, missionaries representing the New World Society
of Jehovah's witnesses, were deported by the Dominican government. Over the
radio and in the newspapers priests falsely accuse Jehovah's witnesses of being
Communists and continually incite the government to take brutal measures
against these Christians. Then there are the co-operatives of the Jesuit priests.
These priests go into a community where there are two or three stores. They
tell the people that if a cooperative is formed, food will be cheaper in price.
The people contribute money, and the priests buy staples at a good price. They
sell it to the people at a lower price than do the stores. Soon the priests expand
their business to many products; the other stores lose their business and move
away. When that happens the price of things goes up again and the people are
about where they started except for one thing: Attendance at mass is sometimes
a requirement for the purchase of food! The problem of Protestants is obvious.
Even the
so-called "freedom of education" is affected by the power of the Catholic
Church. Each school day there is one hour of Catholic teaching in the public
schools. According to law this teaching is voluntary, but if any refuse this
teaching they are not likely to pass from one grade to another. Freedom of
education" is another casualty.
Spies and
Monopolies
What of
"the right to the free expression of thoughts without previous
censorship"? As in most police states control of the press is absolute.
Nothing unfavorable to the regime appears. There is no opposition newspaper.
Spies make certain that no one openly criticizes the regime.
One who
visits the Dominican Republic often feels he is being watched. The feeling is
no illusion. Police states keep an eye on movements of strangers as well as on
many of their nationals. One Latin American who represented his country said: "My
chauffeur turned out to be a spy, so I fired him and got another one. He, too,
was a spy. The servants in my house were spies. Wherever I went, I was spied
upon. I couldn't discuss anything with anybody without being overheard. I
finally got so tired of being watched that I asked for a transfer."
Spies are found in cafes, bars and any place where people congregate. One corner after another has men standing there talking, smoking, jesting. Many of them are spies. They watch everything the people do and try to hear everything they say. They often walk ten or fifteen feet behind a person. An American who has spent more than ten years in the Dominican Republic says of the spies: "When you get to know them well they may get a new face to trail you. They sit on a porch or stand and when they get tired sit in a door entrance and watch your house. When you leave they walk to a phone nearby and another spy is sent to observe everything you do."
What of
"the right of ownership"? Spies are found in cafes, bars and any place where people congregate. One corner after another has men standing there talking, smoking, jesting. Many of them are spies. They watch everything the people do and try to hear everything they say. They often walk ten or fifteen feet behind a person. An American who has spent more than ten years in the Dominican Republic says of the spies: "When you get to know them well they may get a new face to trail you. They sit on a porch or stand and when they get tired sit in a door entrance and watch your house. When you leave they walk to a phone nearby and another spy is sent to observe everything you do."
One may own
things, but first he must have the money to buy them. Prices are high for
imported products and goods. A refrigerator will cost the buyer almost four
times the retail price of the same item in the United States. Why is this?
Inflation? No, it is largely due to the fact that custom duties are at
exorbitant levels.
Tourists are
surprised to hear the cost of other items. A car license costs $180 a year, a
driver's license is $16- There is an extensive licensing system that covers
business establishments, autos, vendors, bicycles and nearly everything else.
Fees are unreasonably heavy.
In the
matter of ownership the generalissimo has a monopoly on almost every vital and
major product. A former editor of El Caribe, a Dominican government newspaper,
wrote: "Trujillo owns -either in his own name or in the name of selected
cronies or members of his family — six of the fifteen Dominican sugar mills;
the only milk pasteurizing and distributing organization in Ciudad Trujillo; a
lumber cutting and drying trust; the only edible-oil factory; the biggest shoe
factory; and the only cement and cigarette factories. He operates the only
modern slaughterhouse; owns the only glass factory, the only paint factory, a
hat manufacturing concern, a large liquor plant, the only battery works, the
only air-conditioning equipment factory, the most powerful radio and television
stations, a chemical manufacturing concern, a shipping company, an insurance
company, the Dominican Republic's one airline, a textile mill, a plant for
processing tropical fruits, the only shipyard, the most expensive night club in
Ciudad Trujillo, and three or four construction companies. . . El Jefe likewise
controls the distribution of rice and sugar for the domestic market."
The possession
of a job itself often depends on one's belonging to Trujillo's political party,
the only political party in the country. A job may also depend on religion.
Roman Catholic priests recently visited employers, urging them to fire any of
Jehovah's witnesses who may be in their employ. One Christian witness of
Jehovah was working in a sugar mill. He was given two minutes to get out of the
office and three hours to get out of town with his family!
Even to work
for a foreign company one must have Trujillo's approval. A new law requires
that one get written permission from "the executive." Illustrating
that there is hardly a sphere of activity not encompassed by the generalissimo
is a notice that appeared in El Caribe in July, 1956. "When doctors
desire to have medical consultations on specific cases," the notice said,
"they may, if they wish, write to Generalissimo Doctor Rafael Leonldas
Trujillo Molina, Medical Department, National Palace." The generalissimo,
interestingly, is not a medical doctor.
Mail and
Travel
What of
"the inviolability of mail"? Mail and telegraphs are heavily
censored. If the government has the slightest suspicion about one's
correspondence, it first goes to the post office censorship department. Even at
the airport, tourists coming in may be searched for newspapers and magazines
containing anything critical of the regime.
And "freedom
of transit"? As you probably guessed, a tight police state controls
travel. One may travel in the Dominican Republic provided he has the right
documents. One vital document is the Cédula Personal de Identidad. It
contains a serial number, a person's name, age, civil status, occupation,
address, fingerprints, picture and other information. All the highways have
soldiers every fifteen or twenty miles, who stop all traffic and require all
passengers to show their documents.
What of
"individual security"? "You have only to walk through the
streets of Ciudad Trujillo," says a former resident of the capital,
"to realize there is no joy, little laughter, and much fear." Few
persons feel secure unless they openly display some object or sign that praises
the generalissimo. Thus wherever one goes he is likely to see signs or
plaques praising Trujillo. Stores and offices have pictures or busts of him;
and there are neon signs also, such as "Trujillo forever," and
"God and Trujillo."
It appears
that major critics of Trujillo have not been able to find security even outside
the Dominican Republic. In downtown Mexico City recently a gunman critically
wounded Tancredo Martinez Garcia, an exiled opponent of the generalissimo. The
Washington (D.G.) Post Times Herald of October 18, 1957, editorialized about
the matter; "Is there no secure sanctuary for those exiles who dare
criticize Trujillo? The disappearance of Dr. Jesus de Galindez from the
streets of New York in March, 1956, is well known. Andres Requena and Sergio
Bencosme, two other critics of Trujillo, were fatally shot by gunmen in New
York ; Pipi Hernandez was stabbed to death in Havana; Luis Arias was murdered
in Haiti ; Mauricio Baez disappeared in Havana; and Clemente Savinon vanished in
Haiti. The fate of Gerald Lester Murphy, the young pilot believed involved in
the de Galindez case, remains a mystery."
The
disappearance of Gerald Murphy and the Columbia University instructor, Dr. de
Galindez, has seriously strained relations between the United States and the
Dominican Republic. Representative Charles O. Porter of Oregon has suggested to
the Federal grand jury that has been investigating the mystery that it indict
Generalissimo Trujillo himself.
The bad publicity
has had its effect. Is it any wonder that the Dominican Republic has had to
spend huge sums of money on public relations in the United States? Despite
all this money to portray Trujillo in a favorable light, the tourist trade continues
to drop. And despite what the Dominican government literature says about its
constitution, this fact is unquestionably clear: the real constitution
of the Dominican Republic is none other than El Jefe, the generalissimo
himself. (FIN DEL ARTICULO)
The
Emperor Trujillo
NO
WRITER ATTRIBUTED
June 2, 1961
The Harvard CrimsonJune 2, 1961
Harvard University
It was no silver bullet that struck down the Emperor
Jones of the Dominican Republic, but a volley of machine-gun fire. Still, like
his fictional counterpart, Generalissimo Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina will
be mourned only by the relatives and friends who joined him for more than
thirty years in plundering and misruling an already-poor country.
Unfortunately, the power vacuum left by the Dominican dictator, coming as it
does in the midst of a Caribbean Whirlpool, only adds to the quandary faced by
the United States, and by all of Latin America.
To be sure, the government established by Trujillo to administer his dictatorship seems to have the country pretty much under control, for the moment at least. Nevertheless, the political and economic structure erected over the past thirty years does not lead one to expect future stability. Like the ancient Frankish kingdoms, Trujillo's government was "despotism tempered by assassination." Intimidation and murder effectively wiped out any possibility of a meaningful "opposition," while Trujillo's demand for unqualified support and complete servility among his subjects have prevented him from grooming a successor.
Similarly, Trujillo did his best to crush commercial ability. Since he and his associates owned or controlled most of the important industry in the Dominican Republic, meaningful opportunity for the middle classes was severely limited. Today, the group which is usually the backbone of a stable government is virtually nonexistent. Moderate personal gains for peasants and workers have been accompanied by enormous extravagances and huge profits for the dictator and his associates. Policemen on every corner, capricious defamation in the pages of Ciudad Trujillo's one newspaper, and sudden arrest, have proven necessary to preserve the government.
For many years the United States, tolerated, and even supported, this despotism, on the inexcusable grounds, that whatever else he did, Trujillo opposed Communism. It is fortunate indeed that this country began, within the last year, to pull away from its friendship with Trujillo. The severing of economic relations and the imposing of mild economic sanctions may not seems like much; they were enough to turn Trujillo toward his bitter enemy Fidel Castro. The fact remains, however, that Washington did nothing to unseat Trujillo. Moreover, the Dominicans have not forgotten that United States Marines occupied the country from 1916 to 1924, ruling with what has been termed "cruelty and despotism." Trujillo himself learned not a little from the American invaders, it seems.
What will come next in the Dominican Republic, no one can say. The ranks of the politically able, thinned by assassination, limit the possibilities somewhat; but anything from invasion by Cubans to further repression by the Trujillo dynasty might happen. Figurehead president and without the ruthlessness of Trujillo, his playboy son will probably not be able to resist the wave of rebellion which has been sweeping Latin American dictatorships.
Whatever happens, Washington cannot work merely for a "safe climate for American investment;" nor can it, in the present situation, send in the Marines, as some imprudent Senators have suggested. The Dominican crisis, coming on the heels of the President's energetic response to Castro's tractor after, must not be allowed to damage what is left of U.S. prestige in Latin America; and reliance on the Organization of American States is not only good politics, but will strengthen a force for order and stability in the Caribbean.
Acting on its own, the United States can offer financial and technical assistance, as well as political support, to any would be government which promises free elections, an end to repression, and social reform. The President must do everything he can to assure that the mistakes of January, 1959, after the Cuban revolution, are not repeated.
The Harvard Crimson
Cambridge, Massachusettshttp://www.thecrimson.com/article/1961/6/2/the-emperor-trujillo-pit-was-no/
Revista Ahora, edicion No. 11, Junio 20, 1962, pg 20
