Dominican Republic

Punta Cana is the most visited destination in the Caribbean. Located east of the Dominican Republic, bathed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean and a temperature ranging from 20 ° C in winter to 32 ° C make the suitable for a good holiday.

Punta Cana include areas (from south to north) of Cap Cana (Juanillo), Punta Cana, Cabeza de Toro, Bavaro, El Cortecito, Arena Gorda, Macao and Uvero Alto. Today, Punta Cana has become one of the best options for those looking for the perfect beaches, rest and relaxation.

The entire coast of Punta Cana is full of hotels T.I (all inclusive) aimed primarily at family holidays. Some hotels offer within their complex activities but most activities are focused on meeting the needs of a family vacation. The exception is in the spring time where hotels are invaded mainly by groups of university students fly from Canada, the U.S. and Europe. In this case the best hotels for these tourists are the largest hoteliers complex, where there are more nocturnal activities.

If you do not mind losing a day all-inclusive hotel in Punta Cana also it offers activities for the more adventurous. You can rent a 4x4 and venture outside the resorts to discover a magnificent world of caves, mangroves, deserted beaches with coconut trees in the nearby provinces of Hato Mayor, the Seibo. You can also visit Altos de Chavon, Bayahibe and Isla Saona near La Romana. All this just 2 hours of your hotel.


location near Punta Cana

Punta Cana area is ideal for those who prefer a vacation that they have all included in the hotel and do not need to get out.

The nearest city, Higuey, is about 40 minutes. Around the hotels you can only find empty fields. You can walk freely along the beach without seeing anything but some works construction project or the next hotel to yours.

El Cortecito, located between Punta Cana-Bavaro and Macao, is the closest and also the closest to a small town. Nearby is the park Manati Park, with fauna and flora of the Dominican Republic and the house of Ponce de Leon near Boca de Yuma, a good option if you want to eat fresh fish on the beach. Crafts vendors walk the beaches of the hotels offering their products. There are also some souvenir shops located on the beach and you can make excursions from Punta Cana.

History of Punta Cana

PuntaCana group
In 1969, a group of American investors bought a land with an area of ​​approximately 48 square kilometers of pure jungle on the eastern end of the Dominican Republic. This portion of land is almost rectangular, of which approximately 10 kilometers bordering the sea, with numerous exotic white sand beaches and thousands of coconut trees, but without any type paths.

Puerto Plata has been one of the most lively of the Dominican Republic, located a few kilometers from Playa Dorada, full of hotels and resorts IT (all inclusive) place cities, has been for many years the preferred place of the propertied classes Caribbean to spend your holiday. At present its tourist appeal has been eroded by the boom that is taking the area of ​​Bavaro Punta Cana. This has caused visiting Puerto Plata and its surroundings fewer tourists and is very easy to stroll around town and not stop see posters selling houses and apartment. Yet Puerto Plata no longer a recommended place to visit.

Puerto Plata is an ideal place for people seeking a holiday with all amenities at a price more than tight and close to interesting places to visit.


location near Puerto Plata

Playa Dorada is just 10 minutes east of Puerto Plata, Sosua, Cabarete, Playa Grande and Rio San Juan are located just half an hour as the international airport of Puerto Plata. Luperon and the second largest city in the Dominican Republic are a 1 hour drive.


History of Puerto Plata

On January 11, 1493 Christopher Columbus arrived in what is now known by the name of bay of Puerto Plata. From the beginning Puerto Plata was a strategic place and very important thanks to its port, which came out all agricultural products obtained from the fertile lands north of the Dominican Republic. The big trade that lived Puerto Plata, ideal for pirate attacks on pirates under the protection of the enemies of Spain, which caused the citizens of Puerto Plata, tired of harassment by pirates, obtaran to market to them before risking their lives and goods. This provoked a strong anger by the kings of Spain, in 1605 ordering the evacuation of Puerto Plata and its surroundings to prevent its settlers trading with the enemy.

A century later, the Spanish crown again gave permission for settlers to settle in Puerto Plata, mainly due to avoid, which they did, mainly French non-Spanish settlers from Haiti today. Gradually Puerto Plata was regaining its importance both economically and strategically mainly to its port, until finally in early 1990, tourism revenues were so great that outperformed their major industries, snuff, leather, sugar and maritime trade.


Origin of name of Puerto Plata

There are two versions of the origin of the name of Puerto Plata. The first one, that when Christopher Columbus discovered skirted the Dominican Republic Amber Coast to reach the current bay of Puerto Plata. Here the sun reflected in the sea giving the impression that it was a sea of ​​silver coins, hence the name.

The second says that Christopher Columbus observed a hill bathed in the bay of Puerto Plata, whose summit was always foggy, which resulted in Christopher Columbus to give him the name "Monte de Plata". This triggered that built the port on the shores of the bay this Puerto Plata is called. Today is the Monte de Plata Isabel de Torres, in honor of the Queen of Castile that sponsored trips Critobal Columbus.

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Aboriginal settlement 

Main article: Tainos of the Spanish

Division of the island to the arrival of Europeans.
Santo Domingo was occupied in four migratory periods before the arrival of the europeos.17 These people came from northern South America, specifically in the basins of the Orinoco, Xingu and Tapajos rivers (located in Venezuela and in Brazil the first remaining ), and the Guianas and were migrated by sea from island to island in the Lesser antilles to the majors.

The earliest settlers of the West Indies had a very rudimentary culture; They were gatherers, fishermen and hunters and did not practice agriculture. They used made of shells and bones of some animals and came to polish the stone to make objects and utensils instruments.

This group is called Archaic (or Pre-Pottery by the absence of pottery) and probably reached the island around 3000 BC. C. To the arrival of Europeans, the archaic only were at the western end of the Shark of Haiti peninsula and western Cuba, where they were called Guanahatabeyes. The Tainos were called siboney (also written Siboney) word meaning "man who lives among the stones or rocks" (Ciba, stone Igney man) .18 The second migratory wave corresponds to the pre-Taino Arawak group known in the Antilles as igneris, 17 related to the style saladoide the Venezuelan coast. Their pottery became the most elaborate of all the Antilles. The igneris not occupied the interior of the island and came to Cuba or Jamaica. They were displaced by the third migration wave: the Tainos, who arrived around the seventh century AD.

The Tainos occupied the Greater Antilles and the Bahamas. The Tainos were names for the island, Quisqueya and Bohio, meaning '' big house and big earth mother respectively.19 20 21 These developed a culture based mainly on agricultural production that allowed them to make an appreciable craft objects mud and wood. In addition, the Tainos were excellent sculptors who concocted ceremonial artifacts of great artistic expression.

The latest wave of immigration was that of the Caribs, who came to occupy all the Lesser Antilles but had not yet settled on Puerto Rico and the island of Santo Domingo to the arrival of the Spaniards. Apparently macoriges towns or macorizes (singular, Macorix) and Ciguayos, who occupied the Samana Peninsula and the north of the island, 18 were different Arawak groups Tainos who came to the island about 600 years before the arrival of Europeans .22 These groups were extremely bellicose compared to their predecessors as demonstrated by his encounter with Columbus in the Gulf of the Arrows (which is located in the province of Samaná).

Arrival of Christopher Columbus 

Main article: Captaincy General of Santo Domingo

Christopher Columbus taking possession at the time of the Spanish arrival in 1492.
Christopher Columbus landed on the north coast of the island on December 5, 1492, naming it La Española.23 By continuing exploration of the north coast, the caravel Santa Maria ran aground on a sandbar; with the remains of the ship, he built the strong Christmas. Columbus then ordered to return to Spain, leaving a garrison of 39 men led by Diego de Arana.

Upon returning to the island during his second voyage in 1493, he found that strong Christmas had been attacked and destroyed by the indigenous cacique Caonabo. Then he decided to build La Isabela, the first European city in the New World, and organized several expeditions to the interior of the island that resulted in the construction of some strengths and control Cibao.24

Before leaving for Spain, Columbus left the colony by his brother Bartholomew Columbus who, as Adelantado of the island, founded the city of Santo Domingo in 1496. But the unrest and uprisings led the Spanish Crown sent to Francisco de Bobadilla to take charge of the situation, who ordered the arrest as a first step of Christopher Columbus and his family, who were shipped to the peninsula. Nicolas de Ovando happened and then the son of Admiral Diego Colón, between 1509 and 1523.

During the conquest and colonization of the first Bishopric (1504), the first General Captaincy, the first Virreinato and first Real Audiencia (1511) of all America it was established; the first church (Ermita del Rosario, 1496), the Hospital of St. Nicholas (1503) and the first cathedral (1530), among other buildings was built. Through the sixteenth century, the Spanish enjoyed good economic and social position; the first conquering expeditions departed from the island. But since the end of the century and after the conquest of large territories in North America and South America, the island was relegated to the background, sinking increasingly into poverty and oblivion.

Slavery 

With the conquest and colonization of the island, the Spaniards began to import large numbers of African slaves to replace the native labor, greatly reduced by wars, brutal working conditions and epidemias.25 About 80 or 90% of the native population died in the first century of the conquest. Meanwhile, between 1492 and 1870 some 30,000 Africans were imported to the territory dominicano.26

Until the conquest of Jamaica by British privateers Admiral William Penn and General Robert Venables, in 1654 the Spaniards had only permanent control of the southeastern part of the island, leaving a large part of central and northern part of the island regions very mountainous, as places where African and Taino Indians, slaves on the plantations, could fugarse.27 both plantations and isolated villages of escapees will produce a strong miscegenation between Indians and Africans and europeos.27 this miscegenation next to the domain social, cultural and economic development of Europe based element of the national identity of dominicanos.28 is estimated that the population of the colony in 1777 was 400,000, of which 100,000 were Europeans and Creoles, 60,000 Africans, mestizos 100,000 will be constituted 60,000 and 100,000 zambos mulatos.27

Slavery was a social institution that existed in America. In the Spanish province of Santo Domingo slaves were never the majority of the population, with the highest ratio 2-10; ie at the time of peak, only 2 out of 10 people were slaves and the remaining 8, 4 were white and 4 were free people of color, in essence mulattos. Thus in 1785 the population was about 150,000 and only 30,000 were slaves, showing that not only the majority of the population lived in freedom, but also that most whites were not slaveholders and most black people were free . So when Haitian slaves free in the invasion of 1822, was an inconsequential act for most of the white population both color and especially considering that slaves were a small minority.

Another aspect of slavery is that most worked in cattle herds and domestic services, the nature of these works made the slaves received a much more humane treatment compared to slaves in other colonies. According to Sanchez Valverde to 1785 slaves most of the year tending their own conucos and working as laborers for their livelihood because their owners could not afford to keep all the cost spent. The food master and slave was the same, which made the slave of Santo Domingo in one of the best fed. That combination of poverty, more humane treatment and equality in the food, made in Santo Domingo slaves lived to old age and not constant and large imports of new slaves was required. It also helped diminish much prejudice, leading to a growing Mestizo and free population, which eventually would become the majority of the Dominican population.

The final abolition of slavery took place in 1822, during the Haitian occupation of the Dominican territory.

Division of the island 

Main article: Treaty of Aranjuez (1777)
In 1586, the Englishman Francis Drake landed on the island and sacked the city of Santo Domingo. Between 1605 and 1606 it was carried out a process of depopulation of the western part of the island, in what became known as the devastations of Osorio. It got its name because the process was implemented by Antonio de Osorio, then Spanish governor of the island, which began the process of gradual settlement of the western part of the island by buccaneers and filibusters French.

By 1630, French, Dutch and British seized the island of Tortuga. From that island the French began the penetration in the western part of the Spanish. In 1697, by the Treaty of Ryswick, Spain ceded to France that part of the island, now Haiti. In the eastern part of the island, to be differentiated from the French colony of Saint Domingue, was called Santo Domingo or Santo Domingo Oriental Spanish.

In 1777, with the Treaty of Aranjuez, the boundaries between the French and the Spanish are fixed part.

French domain

Main article: Treaty of Basel (22 July 1795)
On August 16, 1791, an uprising of slaves in the French colony spread that was quickly smothered by the navy and French troops. On July 22, 1795, at the end of the War of the Pyrenees against the First Coalition, Revolutionary France succeeded, with the Treaty of Basel, which Spain saw forced to give up its sovereignty over the whole island, thus passing into French hands .

In 1801 the insurgency of slaves resumed. Toussaint Louverture advanced on the eastern side of the island and arrived in the capital, Santo Domingo, accompanied by a large army, but was rejected. That same year, they captured Santo Domingo, taking control of the entire island, but in 1802 an army sent by Napoleon captured Louverture and sent him to France as prisoner. However, Toussaint Louverture's lieutenants, and yellow fever, succeeded in expelling the French again from Saint-Domingue. On January 1, 1804, while Jean-Jacques Dessalines proclaimed the independence of Haiti he began in Santo Domingo the French period, under the administration of Louis Marie Ferrand.

In 1805, Henri Christophe and Dessalines took the city of Santiago and then went to Santo Domingo with a large army, but faced resistance Ferrand were forced to retreat. During the retreat, many villages in the southern and northern bands were reduced to ashes, and the people who could not flee in time were massacred.

In 1808, after the Napoleonic invasion of Spain, the criollos of Santo Domingo led by Juan Sanchez Ramirez soldier rebelled against French rule and, with the help of Britain (an ally of Spain) in the so-called Battle of Palo Hincado.

Main article: Spain Boba
On 11 July 1809, the French administrators capitulated. British troops occupied the city of Santo Domingo, until in August of the same year left the industry and the eastern part again became nominally colony of Spain. Thus the period known as the Spain Boba, ie little or no metropolitan intervention in the affairs of the colony began, which lasted until 1821.

Ephemeral Independence and Haitian occupation later 

Main articles: Ephemeral Independence and Unification of Hispaniola.
Inspired by the liberal ideas, Jose Nunez de Caceres conspires against Spain in the east, and December 1, 1821 proclaimed the independence of this part of the island, thus creating the Independent State of Spanish Haiti. This is reflected in the story as Ephemeral Independence, because only in three months the Haitian General consolidates its domination over the entire island.

The new system was widely opposed by Dominican farmers, although there was a boom in the production of sugar and coffee.


Jean Pierre Boyer
All levels of education collapsed, the university was closed as Dominicans young men aged 16 to 25 years old were recruited by the Haitian army, were also deprived of food. The occupation troops Boyer, who were largely Dominicans hand, those who did not receive pay had to devote to plunder the Dominican civilians. Haiti imposed a tribute to the Dominican people. This tribute helped Haiti to pay to France its negotiated independencia.Muchos fled from Santo Domingo to Puerto Rico and Cuba (both still under Spanish rule), Venezuela and other countries. In the end, the economy and taxation became more onerous.

With the arrival of Boyer to the eastern part of the island slavery was abolished and a profound agrarian reform was raised. also won the Rural Code, which prohibited former slaves leave the properties of their masters without permission of the owner and the Haitian authorities, thus effecting the invalidity of the liberation of slaves.

In addition to the Rural Code Boyer had implications for the population of Dominican color that was free, which was the most people of color, so it increased dissatisfaction boyerista regime among Dominicans of all colors and classes With this it begins the Haitian Domination on 9 February 1822. in the western part of the island conspiracies against Boyer start from 1827, which require that comes into exile in January 1843.

Independence

Main article: Independence of the Dominican Republic

Juan Pablo Duarte guide and leader of the Trinitarians and War propeller for Dominican independence.
In this revolutionary process also it starts against the Haitian domain led by liberals, including Juan Pablo Duarte, Matías Ramón Mella and Francisco del Rosario Sánchez. the underground movement La Trinitaria was founded on July 16, 1838. When Charles Herard comes to power, the persecution of the Trinitarios starts. By this time there were groups who wanted annexation to England, France or Spain. These groups are put before independence ideas of the Trinitarians.

In 1843, although Duarte was not, Trinidadians did not slacken in their actions and in the cause of freedom in the country. Francisco del Rosario Sánchez, and Vicente Matias Ramon Mella Celestino Duarte headed to the Trinidadians, who made almost no resources circulate ideas handwritten pages, to organize and add adherents to the separatist ideas.


Flag used by Trinitarians to declare independence in 1844
On January 16, 1844, it was written by Thomas Bobadilla and Briones, the manifestation of the peoples of the eastern part of the island, where the causes of their separation from Haiti enunciated. This demonstration would be the law that would govern the newly proclaimed until its constitution was promulgated on November 6 republic.


Francisco del Rosario Sánchez took the lead in the war for Dominican independence after the absence of Juan Pablo Duarte.

Matias Ramon Mella responsible for giving the freedom trabucazo night February 27, 1844 at the Gate of Mercy.
On the night of February 27, 1844, they were little by little gathered small groups of patriots who came from different areas of Santo Domingo. The beginning of the radical separatist action was indicated by a "blunderbuss" shot by Ramon Matías Mella in the Gate of Mercy, and was heard by a large part of the inhabitants of the city.

Although Juan Pablo Duarte, the Father of the Nation, was absent Tuesday night February 27, 1844, at the Puerta del Conde, the Dominican Republic was proclaimed by Francisco del Rosario Sanchez, head of the movement after the absence of Juan Pablo Duarte, Tomás Bobadilla and Briones, representative of the conservatives, Matias Ramon Mella, Manuel Jimenes, Vicente Celestino Duarte, Jose Joaquin Puello, Gabino Puello, Eusebio Puello, Eduardo Abreu, Juan Alexander Acosta, Remigio del Castillo, Jacinto de la Concha, Tomas de la Concha, Cayetano Rodriguez, Felix Maria del Monte, and others who express the Haitian authorities their indestructible resolution of being free and independent, at the expense of their lives and interests, with no threat is able to retract his will .

February 27th that the Dominican flag was raised in the Puerta del Conde. He waved in the city of Santo Domingo flag embroidered by Concepción Bona and María Trinidad Sánchez. The flag had emerged from a project presented by Juan Pablo Duarte, adopted on 16 July 1838 in La Trinitaria, where the colors and shape of the shows that represent the new state were presented.

The nascent republic was run by a Central Governing Board under the power of the conservatives until November 14, 1844 in which Pedro Santana is elected Constitutional First President of the Dominican Republic.

The decades that followed were filled with tyranny, factionalism, economic difficulties, rapid changes of government and political exile. For several years, Haitians made several invasions (1844, 1845-1849, 1849-1855, and 1855-1856), but were frustrated by the Dominican Army. Meanwhile, archrivals Santana and Báez alternated power most of the time, both ruling the country arbitrarily. They promoted plans to annex the new Republic to another power: Santana favored Spain, and Báez the United States.

In this period of history was called First Republic, ranging from the formation of the nation, February 27, 1844 until the annexation to Spain in 1861.

Annexation to Spain and restoration

Main article: War of Restoration

Gregorio Luperon fought against the claims of Pedro Santana Dominican sovereignty to recover.
In 1861, after imprisoning, silencing, exiling, and executing many of his opponents and political and economic reasons, Pedro Santana signed a pact with the Spanish Crown and reverted the Dominican nation to colonial status, the only American country to do so. His ostensible purpose was to protect the nation from another Haitian annexation. But opponents launched the War of Restoration in 1863, led by Santiago Rodríguez, Benito Monción, and Gregorio Luperon, among others. Haiti, for fear that Spain again as a colonial power on its border, gave refuge and supplies to the revolutionaries. The United States, which at that time had their civil war, vigorously protested the Spanish action. After two years of fighting, Spain abandoned the island in 1865.

Political conflicts reigned again in the following years; governed a state of war, military revolts were common, and the nation accumulating more and more debt. After taking possession Báez, plotting his plan of annexation of the country to the United States, where the government of then gave their support. The President of the United States Ulysses S. Grant ordered a naval base at Samaná and also a place for the settlement of the newly freed blacks. The deal, which included US payment of US $ 1.5 million for the amortization of the Dominican debt, was rejected by the US Senate in 1870.

Báez was toppled in 1874, he returned and was again overthrown, but this time for good in 1878. A new generation of politicians emerged, with the elimination of Santana (who died in 1864) and Báez from the political scene. Relative peace came to the country in the 1880s, which saw the coming to power of General Ulises Heureaux.

"Lilís" as the new president was nicknamed, enjoyed a brief period of popularity. It was, however, a "simulator" that got the nation into a deep debt, while using most of the proceeds for personal use and to maintain his police state. Heureaux was a despot and unpopular rampant. In 1899 he was killed. However, the relative calm after his death allowed improvement in the Dominican economy. The sugar industry was modernized, and the country attracted foreign workers and immigrants, both Old World and New.

From 1902, the governments of short periods again, the power was usurped by caudillos in parts of the country. Moreover, the Dominican government was bankrupt and unable to pay debts left Heureaux, before the threat of military intervention by France and other European creditor powers.

First American occupation

Main article: United States occupation of the Dominican Republic (1916-1924)

The US Marines landed in time on Dominican soil in 1916
The President of the United States Theodore Roosevelt sought to prevent European intervention, largely to protect the routes of the future Panama Canal, the canal was already under construction. Made a small military intervention to ward off the European powers, proclaimed his famous Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, and in 1905 obtained Dominican agreement for the US to take the administration of Dominican customs, by then, the main source of income to the Dominican government. A 1906 agreement provided for a duration of 50 years. The United States agreed to use part of customs revenue to reduce the immense foreign debt of the Dominican Republic, and assumed responsibility for the debt.

After six years in power, President Ramón Cáceres (who had murdered Heureaux) was assassinated in 1911. The result was several years of political instability and civil war. With US mediation under the administrations of William Howard Taft and Woodrow Wilson respectively, a brief respite was achieved.

The political deadlock was broken in 1914 after the ultimatum he gave Wilson the Dominicans to elect a president or the United States would impose one. He was elected an interim president, and later the same year relatively free elections was elected president Juan Isidro Jimenes former Pereyra. In order to achieve a government with more support, with identifiable people Jimenes he named several opponents in his cabinet. But this did not bring peace, along with his former Secretary of War Desiderio Arias maneuvering to depose him and despite a US offer to help militarily against Arias, Jimenes resigned on May 7, 1916.

But negotiations between the followers of Juan Isidro Jimenes (Jimenistas) and followers of Horacio Vásquez (Horacistas) was appointed as President Francisco Henriquez y Carvajal. However, the new president disagreed with the intervention.

Wilson ordered the occupation of the Dominican Republic. The US Marines desembarcaró on May 16, 1916, and took control of the country two months later. The military government established by the US, led by Rear Admiral Harry Shepard Knapp, was widely repudiated by Dominicans. Some Cabinet posts had to be covered by officials of the United States Navy, Dominicans refused to serve in the administration. censorship and limit public discourse was imposed.

But the occupation regime, kept most of the laws and Dominican institutions, largely reactivated the economy, reduced the Dominican debt, built a road network that finally interconnecting all regions of the country, and created a professional National Guard .

Opposition to the occupation continued, however, and after World War I the same discontent increased in the United States. There, President Warren G. Harding (1921-1923), Wilson's successor, worked to end the occupation, as it had promised to do during his campaign.

The victor was former president Horacio Vásquez Lajara, who had cooperated with the United States. Vásquez gave the country six years of good governance, in which political and civil rights are respected and the economy grew strongly, in a quiet environment.

The era of Trujillo

Main article: Era of Trujillo

Rafael L. Trujillo dictatorship imposed a 31 years in the country (1930-1961)
Horacio Vásquez Trujillo blindly trusted and so never knew their true intentions, even appointed him as his trusted military. He also instructed the fight against Estrella Urena, who was Secretary of State, and had left the Horacistas ranks, since it opposed the re-election of Vasquez; but he was unaware that Trujillo had already hatched a plan to unseat him with Estrella Urena.

During the government of Horacio Vásquez, Trujillo held the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and was Chief of Police. This position helped him launch his plans to overthrow the government of Vásquez. Trujillo had the support of Carlos Rosario Peña, who formed the Civic Movement, which was primarily aimed at overthrowing the government of Vásquez.

When Vásquez attempted to win another term, opponents rebelled in February 1930, in secret alliance with the commander of the Army (the former National Guard), General Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina, by which the latter remained "neutral" against the rebellion, while Vasquez resigned and goes into exile; then is sworn in as provisional president Estrella Urena on 3 March 1930. During the five months of president, they were repealed all laws that prevented Trujillo aspired to the presidency; that way Trujillo could aspire to the presidential elections of the time and not only that, but all this harassment and repression of all aspiring candidates, as well as supporters joined them. During the election campaign, Trujillo used the army to unleash all kinds of repression, forcing their opponents to withdraw from the race. Trujillo stood to choose himself, and in May was elected president virtually unopposed, after a violent campaign against his opponents.

Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina rises to power on August 16, 1930, after the manipulations made in complicity with Rafael Estrella Ureña who was elected its vice president and abiding by all its guidelines.

There was considerable economic growth during the long regime of Trujillo, although much of the wealth was taken by the dictator for his personal needs. Progress was made in health care, education and transport, with the construction of hospitals and clinics, schools, roads and ports. Trujillo also carried out a program of housing construction and initiated a major pension plan. Finally, I ended the loan he had with the US. UU. 50 years of customs administration in 1941, which was scheduled to finish in 1956. He made the country to be debt free in 1947.

This was accompanied by absolute repression and numerous killings, torture and terrorist methods against the opposition. Moreover, the megalomania of Trujillo was the renaming of the capital, Santo Domingo to "Ciudad Trujillo", also the highest mountain in the country and Caribbean renamed Pico Duarte to "Pico Trujillo" plus several towns and a province. Some other places renamed named members of his family. At the end of his first term in 1934 was the richest person in the country, one of the richest in the world in the 1950s, and almost at the end of his regime his fortune was estimated at $ 800 million.

In 1937, Trujillo (who had Haitian descent), in an event known as the Slaughter of Perejil, ordered the army to kill Haitians living in the border area. The army killed some 17,000 to 35,000 Haitians over six days, from the night of October 2, 1937 to October 8, 1937. To avoid leaving evidence of the involvement of the Army, the soldiers used machetes rather than bullets. Trujillo soldiers interrogated anyone with dark skin, using the Shibboleth "parsley" to differentiate Haitians from Dominicans when necessary, the "r" of parsley was difficult pronunciation for Haitians. As a result of the slaughter, the Dominican Republic agreed to pay compensation to Haiti the amount of $ 750,000, later reduced to $ 525,000.

On November 25, 1960 Trujillo ordered to kill three of the four Mirabal sisters, nicknamed Las Mariposas. Minerva aspired to be a lawyer who was opposed to the dictatorship, but Trujillo had already started to sexually harass her. The sisters have received many honors posthumously, and have many memories in several cities in the Dominican Republic. Salcedo, their home province, changed its name to the province Hermanas Mirabal. The International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women is held in his honor on the day of his death.

For a long time, the US supported the Trujillo government, like the Catholic Church and the Dominican elite. This support persisted despite the assassinations of opposition politicians, the slaughter of Haitians, and Trujillo's plots against other countries. The United States finally broke with Trujillo in 1960, after Trujillo's agents tried to assassinate Venezuelan President Romulo Betancourt, a fierce critic of Trujillo. He was killed on May 30, 1961.

Post Trujillo

See also: United States occupation of the Dominican Republic (1965-1966) and Dominican Civil War.
After the death of Trujillo, the country went through several political directions among which are the professor Juan Bosch, who took office in February 1963, but was ousted at 7 months in September because their intentions social reforms and their supposed Marxist inclination. A representative of the neotrujillista oligarchy triumvirate would replace the first Dominican democratic experience after 31 years of dictatorship. After nineteen months of military government, a rebellion broke out in favor of Bosch in April 1965.

The US president Lyndon Johnson, concerned about a "supposed" revolt by communists, that could create a "second Cuba", he sent marines day later, followed immediately by the 82nd Airborne Division and other elements of the XVIII Airborne Corps in Operation Powerpack. "We do not intend to stay here sitting in a rocking chair back and let the Communists implement any government in the Western Hemisphere," Johnson said. Promptly they were comparatively small contingents joined the Organization of American States. They remained in the country for more than a year and left after supervising elections in 1966 won by Joaquín Balaguer, who had been the last puppet president of Trujillo.

The twelve years of Balaguer (Home of political corruption) 

Joaquin Balaguer was president in the periods (1966-1978) and (1986-1996), besides being puppet president during the Trujillo dictatorship.
In 1966 Joaquin Balaguer came to power and remained there for a period of 12 years in a dictatorship who used electoral fraud, and used the repression of political opponents, so that competition was practically nil and legitimize his reelection " democratically ". Its management was a period of repression of human rights and civil liberties, which occurred 11 000 victims for enforced disappearances and killings políticos.29 30 His government was criticized for a growing disparity between rich and poor. It was, however, praised for an ambitious infrastructure program, which includes large housing projects, sports centers, theaters, museums, aqueducts, roads, highways, and Columbus Lighthouse monument.

For the elections of 1970 a political crisis arose when the Vice President of that time, Lic. Francisco Augusto Lora upset with President Balaguer and he understood he played his turn to head the ballot as a presidential candidate for the Party reformist, realizes that Dr. Balaguer wants to run again and opt for a new mandate and would not back down in their aspirations, and that leads him to form another political party, the Movement for Democratic Integration, MIDA, leaving to attend the Palace National.

Given this situation, and further aggravated by political pressure from opposition parties, Dr. Balaguer explained that temporarily leave the presidency of the Republic in the hands of the President of the Supreme Court of Justice, Dr. Manuel Ramon Ruiz Tejada.

Ruiz Tejada quickly disagreed publicly criteria and President Balaguer said only assume as head of the Executive, if the temporary absence of the President and the Vice President, as we provided in Article 58 of the Dominican Constitution occurred.

The events quickly and April 17, 1970, Ruiz Tejada came after President Balaguer signed an agreement with the political parties of the opposition, took over as interim president and immediately ordered the "absolute and effective political neutralization of the public administration to ensure the necessary impartiality in the electoral process. " Manuel Ramon Ruiz Tejada, president of the Supreme Court in exercise of executive power, carried out his duties fully and without limitations on its exercise, without pressure from the president license to produce and performing a management praised by all sectors and forces living in the nation. After 36 days he handed over command to Joaquin Balaguer and resumed his judicial functions (1966-1974).

On January 12, 1972 took place the armed confrontation of the revolutionary group known as Los Palmeros or Comandos of the Resistance ', against the intentions of President Joaquin Balaguer re-establish a similar government to the newly ousted regime of Trujillo government in which he formed, violating the people's right to democratic political exercise. The confrontation took place at kilometer 14 of the highway Las Americas, Santo Domingo.

The Palmeros were: Amaury German Aristy, Bienvenido Leal Prandy, also known as the shoots, Ulises Cerón Polanco and Virgilio Perez Perdomo. This group was part of the strategy of military support to General Francisco Alberto Caamano Deno, leader of the opposition forces to the US military intervention in their intentions to overthrow Joaquin Balaguer and carry out a social revolution in the country, also had membership at the executive level of Miguel Cocco Guerrero.

It was political corruption (1978-present) 

During the 1978 elections, he was elected Antonio Guzman Fernandez by Dominican Revolutionary Party. Its mandate was characterized as one of the most liberal who had the country in decades and from the government of Juan Bosch. His term ends when Guzman commits suicide on July 4, 1982. He was succeeded by Vice turn, Lic. Jacobo Majluta, who ruled for 43 days on an interim basis. The presidential election of that year was won by his party colleague Salvador Jorge Blanco.

In 1986 he returned to the Joaquin Balaguer, who was about 80 years. In 1990 he was reelegio Joaquin Balaguer in an election marred by allegations of fraud. In 1994, Joaquín Balaguer was again won the elections against Jose Francisco Pena Gomez and Juan Bosch, varying the electoral panorama only from the point of view of the opposition parties. As a result of allegations of fraud, it became a constitutional reform cutting the presidential term to two years and agreeing elections in 1996. That year, with the support of Joaquin Balaguer and the Social Christian Reformist Party in a coalition called the Patriotic Front , was elected Leonel Fernandez of the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD). This government was characterized by macroeconomic growth and the privatization of state enterprises through foreign investment. This administration support the modernization of the judicial system, being transparent the formation of an independent Supreme Court of Justice. efforts for reform and modernization of other branches of government were also made. In addition, relations with Cuba were restored and the Free Trade Agreement with Central America, which was the genesis for the signing of DR-CAFTA was signed.


Hipolito Mejia was president of the nation in the period 2000-2004, trying to re-election in the next election losing Fernández
In 2000, Hipolito Mejia ascended to the Executive by the Dominican Revolutionary Party. His rule was marked by great economic and social reforms, apart from a decentralization of the national budget. Among the laws created in this period include the Social Security, the Monetary and Financial Code, Stock Market, Electricity, E-commerce, Police Law, Environment, Public Health, Chamber of Accounts, Insurance, Independence Administrative and budget the Legislature and the Judiciary; also creation of the Province Santo Domingo and its municipalities, larger budget for municipalities, and other laws. This earned him in the 2002 elections, congressional and municipal get a majority. During this period large sports facilities for the 2003 Pan American Games rose.

The government of President Mejia touched negotiate the Free Trade Agreement with the United States, the main trading partner. He also promoted various trade measures, popularly called "economic package". This "package" was accompanied by a series of social measures such as aid to farmers, subsidies to the electricity tariff, construction of streets, sidewalks, roads, etc., as well as subsidies to poor families whose children attended schools, and creation of new taxes and increases in existing ones.


Leonel Fernandez was president in three constitutional periods (1996-2000), (2004-2008) and due to reelection (2008-2012)
In 2003 the effects of the collapse of three banks whose depositors were protected by the government who financed this by creating inflation. This caused a severe economic crisis accompanied by the devaluation of the currency and capital outflows, instability that bankrupted many businesses. With the congressional majority obtained in 2002, President Mejia momentum constitutional reform which restored the possibility of presidential reelection which had been abolished in 1994 at the request of his own party. This reform caused him problems with his party causing internal division within its main leaders.

In 2004, Leonel Fernandez won with 57.11% of the vote the presidential election to President Hipolito Mejia. When starting his second presidential term, he endeavored to combat the economic crisis managing to restore macroeconomic stability manifesting itself among other things by reducing the exchange rate of the dollar and renewed confidence in the economy.

The administration of President Fernandez was to improve the public transport system of Santo Domingo, the first Metro line was built; the completion of the main roads to the tourist areas of the country; the construction of new schools or the construction of more classrooms and the provision of computer centers with modern computers and communities in coordination with Internet schools, churches or clubs. He continued his modernization program been strengthening the budget formulation and implementation of laws and promoting transparent public procurement of goods and services.

In 2008, Leonel Fernandez is re-elected president, defeating his most prominent contender, Miguel Vargas Maldonado candidate of the Dominican Revolutionary Party, achieving his third term (second) 2008-2012. In the municipal and congressional elections of 2010, the Dominican Liberation Party won 32 Senate seats 31 and 92 of 155 municipalities. Danilo Medina, of the same party PLD was elected president in 2012 on a promise to invest more in social programs and education, in addition to facing the corrupción.31

Danilo Medina to assume the presidency of the Republic declared to the media that the election is a deficit for the Dominican State; something that does not comply then it modifies the constitution to be re-elected as presidential candidate. The years of government Danilo Medina are increasingly obscure to the Dominican people, where corruption, crime and impunity to persons of public office and / or politicians are the daily life of the nation.

The 15 May 2016 elections where it leaves reelected President Danilo Medina, candidate of the PLD, where preliminary results are given 5 minutes to close formally elections are held. Many opposition parties complained about this, giving emphasize that this was not agreed by the Central Electoral Board.

Dominican Republic, a country that expects improvement is one of the countries with economies that are moving faster in Latin America but with a very high rate of poverty and unemployment. The recent triumph of Danilo Medina puts the PLD in the only party that has ruled for more than 3 periods.

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