Rafael Leónidas Trujillo Molina
Full Name
Rafael Leónidas Trujillo Molina
Date of Birth
October 24, 1891
Place of Birth
San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic
Date of Death
May 30, 1961
Place of Death
Near Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Education
Trujillo’s education was rudimentary at best, with informal schooling in various villagers’ homes
Spouses Names
- Aminta Ledesma (m. 1913; div. 1925)
- Bienvenida Ricardo (m. 1927; div. 1935)
- María de los Ángeles Martínez Alba (m. 1937)
Children Names
- Rafael Leónidas Ramfis Trujillo Martínez
- María de los Ángeles del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús (Angelita) Trujillo Martínez
- Leónidas Rhadamés Trujillo Martínez
- Odette Trujillo Ricardo (with Bienvenida Ricardo, born after their divorce)
Parents Names
- Father: José Trujillo Valdez
- Mother: Altagracia Julia Molina Chevalier
Rafael Leónidas Trujillo Molina, also known as El Jefe, was a military officer and dictator who ruled the Dominican Republic from 1930 until his assassination in 1961. He served as president from 1930 to 1938 and again from 1942 to 1952, ruling for the rest of his life as an unelected military strongman under figurehead presidents. His regime, known as the Trujillo Era, was marked by significant economic growth and modernization but was also notorious for its brutal repression, including the murder of tens of thousands, open racism and xenophobia towards Haitians, and widespread corruption. Trujillo’s early life was spent in a lower-middle-class family in San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic. He began his military career during the U.S. occupation of the Dominican Republic and quickly rose through the ranks due to his discipline and organizational talents. By 1927, he had become the commander-in-chief of the army. His dictatorship was characterized by a personality cult, with numerous monuments and the capital city (Santo Domingo) being renamed Ciudad Trujillo in his honor. Despite his oppressive rule, Trujillo maintained a facade of legitimacy and stability, which was supported by the United States for strategic reasons during much of his tenure. Trujillo’s downfall began in the late 1950s with growing domestic and international opposition. His assassination in 1961 by a group of dissidents marked the end of his direct control over the Dominican Republic, though his family attempted to maintain power until they were ousted in 1962. Trujillo’s legacy remains controversial, with some crediting him for modernizing the Dominican Republic and others condemning his human rights abuses and dictatorial governance