BAEZ, BUENAVENTURA

born 1810, Azua de Compostela, Hispaniola [now Azua, Dominican Republic] died 1884, Puerto Rico politician who served five terms as president of the Dominican Republic and is noted principally for his attempts to have the United States annex his country. Bez was a member of a wealthy and prominent family in the Dominican Republic. He was educated in Europe and began his political career in 1843 by helping lead the revolt that established the independence of the Dominican Republic from Haiti, with which it shares the island of Hispaniola. At this time, Bez believed that his nation could maintain its independence only by becoming a French protectorate, and to secure that end he was sent to Europe in 1846; the French, however, were not interested. Bez served his first term as president in 184953, and in 1850 he tried unsuccessfully to have his country annexed by the United States. His second term (185658) ended when his government was overthrown by a coup d'tat because of his involvement in corrupt financial transactions. He then invited Spain to occupy the Dominican Republic, and in return he was exiled to a comfortable life in Europe, financed by the Spaniards. When Spain abandoned the Dominican Republic in 1865, Bez returned to begin a third presidential term, but in May 1866 he was removed by another coup. In 1868 he was again made president, this time determined to gain annexation by the United States. He even succeeded in persuading the United States to send warships, ostensibly to protect his country from Haiti; in reality he sought to protect his own business interests. The warships were soon removed, however, and in 1874 Bez again was forced to leave office. He served his last term in 187678 and was then exiled permanently to Puerto Rico. Bez has been described as a thoroughly corrupt tyrant who had no regard for either the lives or the property of his people.