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You are here: Home / History / Who was Rafael Trujillo and When did El Jefe’s reign of the Dominican Republic end?

Who was Rafael Trujillo and When did El Jefe’s reign of the Dominican Republic end?

April 6, 2020 by Karen Hill

Known as El Jefe, or “the Chief,” Rafael Trujillo was the dictator of the Dominican Republic from 1930 to 1961.

He wasn’t always president, but he controlled whoever was president. He ruled like a gangster, outlawing opposition parties, torturing and killing dissidents, growing rich on public money.

He expanded the economy and modernized the country, but ordinary citizens did not benefit much: unemployment and poverty were rampant.

In a dispute with Haiti, Trujillo ordered the massacre of ten thousand Haitians. He was shot to death in his car by assassins in 1961.

Many breathed a sigh of relief when his brutal reign came to an end.

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Filed Under: History

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « Who was Che Guevara and How did Guevara contribute to the Cuban revolution?
Next Post: Why are people from the Dominican Republic usually lighter skinned than people from Haiti? »

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