Supporting Trujillo

Rafael Trujillo ruled the Dominican Republic from 1930 until 1961. Trujillo was a soldier, trained by U.S. marines, who gained power through manipulation and made a career of brutalizing his opponents.

The link between the U.S. and Trujillo is complicated, but there were extensive ties between the dictator and the northern power. The U.S. invaded the Dominican in 1916 in order to stabilize the politically chaotic nation. U.S. marines occupied the country from 1916-1924. The colonial power intended to build a force for law and order, though there was some disagreement as to whether a police force or an army was more appropriate. One of the men who signed up to join this force was Trujillo. While the marines could obviously not have dreamed that they were training a dictator, their autocratic rule contributed towards creating the conditions that led to Trujillo's ascent.

U.S. foreign policy is often more concerned with its own short term aspirations than the people who reside in a particular nation. The invasion and subsequent occupation of the Dominican was no different. Rather than contributing towards building a democracy, the U.S. helped to contribute towards forming a highly militarized society. The U.S. policy of creating an apolitical military designed to ensure internal stability was not sincere. The U.S. did not follow through on its initial goal.

Once Trujillo gained power, he was supported by the U.S. America consistently looked the other way with regards to the more sadistic aspects of the Generalissimo's rule until it was no longer politically advantageous to do so following World War II. Trujillo was seen as a stabilizing force and a pro-American head of state because of his earlier U.S.-led military training. Trujillo gained favor once again when the Cold War intensified, because the autocrat was ostensibly anti-communist.

Instead of a consistent policy of advocating human rights in the Dominican Republic, the U.S. waffled, at times supporting Trujillo and all of the viciousness that accompanied his rule, while disavowing itself when it was politically beneficial. The U.S. was not directly culpable for Trujillo's rise- he possessed an innate political shrewdness- but allowed for his rise and gave him support throughout the years. A better long term strategy for the U.S. would have been to support a push towards true democracy, winning the hearts and minds of the Dominican people. (International Edition)