born Oct. 24, 1891, San Cristóbal, Dom.Rep.
died May 30, 1961, Ciudad Trujillo, near San Cristóbal
Dictator of the Dominican Republic (193061).
He entered the army in 1918 and rose through the ranks to become a general in 1927. In 1930 he seized power from Pres. Horacio Vásquez, and from then until his assassination he remained in absolute control of the country. Though he introduced a degree of economic modernization, its benefits were distributed inequitably, government corruption was rife, and Dominicans suffered the loss of civil and political liberties under his regime.