Source: Museo Memorial de la Resistencia Dominicana.
Death of the Dictator Opened Doors to Democracy
Today, May 30, 2018 marks the 57th anniversary of the assassination of Rafael Leónidas Trujillo. For Dominicans, however, this was not simply the execution of an evil man. In Spanish, the "ajusticiamento de Trujillo" translated into the day that Trujillo was brought to justice. During Trujillo's reign of terror, several Dominicans and non-Dominican allies alike resisted the bloody dictatorship, which lasted from Trujillo's ascension to power in 1930 to his death in 1961.
Over the years, ESENDOM has published articles relating to this time in history. A 2010 article titled "Dominicans Fought Trujillo's Regime from Day One," recounts the resistance to the Trujillo dictatorship in the Dominican Republic. A follow-up article by María Encarnación, "Trujillo's Machinery of Terror" (2010), looks at the machinery of terror built by Trujillo. Another article, "Remembering the Heroes of the June 14th Movement: José Mesón & the Freedom Fighters" (2017), provides a snapshot into the lives of some of the courageous men and women who fought the dictatorship.
On the 57th anniversary of Trujillo's assassination, we remember all of those who gave their lives for freedom.
Source: Revista ¡Ahora!