republic · Mesoamerica and the Caribbean
Third Dominican Republic
Origins
The Military Government of Santo Domingo ended in 1924 with the election of Horacio Vásquez. His attempt to extend his term weakened his government, and in 1930 Rafael Trujillo, commander of the US-trained army, took power in a coup and won a fraudulent election.
Rule and society
Trujillo ruled directly or through puppet presidents until 1961, controlling the economy through family monopolies, including much of the sugar industry. Santo Domingo was renamed Ciudad Trujillo in 1936. In October 1937 his troops massacred thousands of Haitians along the border, the Parsley Massacre. He paid off the foreign debt and built roads and ports, while the secret police tortured and murdered opponents, including the Mirabal sisters in 1960.
Decline and legacy
Trujillo was assassinated on 30 May 1961. Juan Bosch won the 1962 election but was overthrown in 1963. In April 1965 a civil war between constitutionalists and the military led to US intervention, and elections in 1966 began the present Dominican Republic.
Lineage
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Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Third Dominican Republic. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/third-dominican-republic
- MLA
- “Third Dominican Republic.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/third-dominican-republic. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Third Dominican Republic.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/third-dominican-republic.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Third Dominican Republic’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/third-dominican-republic (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻