Rafael Trujillo was dictator of which state for nearly 20 years?
Rafael Trujillo Rafael Trujillo Rafael Leónidas Trujillo Molina (; ; 24 October 1891 – 30 May 1961), nicknamed "El Jefe" (, "The Chief" or "The Boss"), was a Dominican politician, soldier and dictator, who ruled the Dominican Republic from February 1930 until his assassination in May 1961. He served as president from 1930 to 1938 and again from 1942 to 1952, ruling for the rest of the time as an unelected military strongman under figurehead presidents. His 31 years in power, to Dominicans known as the Trujillo Era (), are considered one of the bloodiest eras ever in the Americas, as well
Rafael Trujillo in 1918 and trained with the U.S. Marines. Seeing opportunity, Trujillo impressed the recruiters and won promotion from cadet to general and commander-in chief of the Army in only nine years. A rebellion (or "coup d'état") against President Horacio Vásquez broke out in February 1930 in Santiago. Trujillo secretly cut a deal with rebel leader Rafael Estrella Ureña; in return for Trujillo letting Estrella take power, Estrella would allow Trujillo to run for president in new elections. As the rebels marched toward Santo Domingo, Vásquez ordered Trujillo to suppress them. However, feigning "neutrality", Trujillo kept his men in barracks, allowing