Historical Frameworks: Rafael Leonidas Trujillo and Fidel Castro

Dictatorship of Rafael Leonidas Trujillo (1930-1961)

After World War I, the US created a National Guard in order to maintain control in Dominican Republic. Trujillo started with a military occupation, but at the end he was in charge of the National Guard , this made him stronger and helped him to win the elections in 1930. During his first years as a dictator, Trujillo received a lot of help from the US. However, at the end the U.S helped the opposition to oust him. Trujillo prohibited opposition, he controlled the press and he tortured everyone who was against him. All the citizens were forced to do what he wanted, workers didn’t have rights and they couldn’t create any organization without his permission. The first income of the country was sugar, but the industry was in hands of Trujillo and workers were only exploited. The Dictatorship of Trujillo was based on terror and corruption; he made strategic movements and alliances to maintain control in the Dominican Republic.

Dictatorship of Fidel Castro (1959-2008)

Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz was born on the 13th August of 1926 in Birán. He is a Cuban leader recognized because of his discipline, his ideas and the fact that he is the only Cuban ruler that has stayed for so long in a political seat. During his dictatorship he made many changes in Cuba, he created many welfare programs, as well as he established a strong link with the USSR during the 60’s.  Since 1961, the US placed a trade embargo as a result of some misunderstandings between both governments. Castro’s prestige increased when he defeated the US invasion at the Bay of Pigs, and he has been loved by many women and lower classes because he gave them more rights. Many people argue that his government wasn’t good because the economy had periods of stagnation. Still, others argue that thanks to his wise decisions, Cuba improved a lot.