FASCISM AND THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Fascism and the Dominican Republic
~Karen Jaime
http://www.goshen.edu/sst/drsummer02/dr19.shtml. Viewed on 4/26/04/

With respect to fascism and the readings we have engaged with in this course a recurring issue was that of the appeal of fascism. What was its appeal to the people living under its oppressive regime? I seek to answer this question by applying the readings to the Dominican Republic during the era of Rafael Leonidas Trujillo, the Dominican dictator who "officially" ruled from 1930-1938, 1942-1952, later to be replaced by the "puppet presidency" of his brother from 1952-1960 and later by his staunch supporter Joaquín Balaguer from 1960-1961. The Dominican Republic while not a fascist country by definition, leaning more towards ultra-nationalism, exhibited many of the characteristics of fascism articulated in the readings. My entrance into this discourse begins with a song my mother learned as a child in the early 1950's close to the end of Trujillo's second term as "president" of the country. I have chosen this song, as I felt that it captured the imagery that I wanted to engage with more effectively than any of the images I came across.
"Trujillo es tu nombre el ideal
es símbolo del bien a la nación
lograstes poner fin a nuestro mal
trayendo el bienestar a la nación
nuestra nación
puede ofrecer
amplio campo a todo luchador
porque tu vida y todo tu ser
serán emblema de fervor
Duarte, Sánchez, y Mella admirarán
la obra que se extiende por doquier"
TRANSLATION:[Trujillo is your name, the ideal
A symbol of national well-being
You managed to bring an end to our misfortune
Our nation can offer opportunities for everyone
Because your life and all that you are
Will be emblems of fervor
Duarte, Sánchez y Mella will admire
All that you have done throughout the land]
A http://www.spotximages.com/dominican_republic.htm .Viewed on 4/26/04. A naval officer - even off duty the military persona is maintained.
Thematically, this song speaks to the perpetuation of the "mythic leader" ideal presented in our readings. Evidence can be found in the line that states: "lograstes poner fin a nuestro mal/you managed to bring an end to our misfortune", making Trujillo the savior of the Dominican people, for it was through him and only him and his political ideology that they were able to escape their prior socio-economic, and political situation. The concept of the leader cult and the ritualization of authority, discussed on page 15 of the Griffin readings is further evidenced by the requirement of everyone to stand during the playing of the national anthem in Trujillo's presence during mass gatherings, something that was absent from general comportment prior to Trujillo's entrance into power. Within this song itself, there is also a pointing towards the "historical destiny" (Griffin, pg. 15) of the Dominican people through Trujillo via the reference to Duarte, Sánchez y Mella--the forefathers of the Dominican Republic who were responsible for its "liberation" from the Haitian government of Toussaint L'Overture. The tone of the last line, speaks to the trajectory from the forefathers to Trujillo; similar to the forefathers, Trujillo is presented as the new "liberator" of the Dominican people. The song is calling upon a nationalist fervor based not only on Trujillo and his ideals, but also on the tangible results of his presidency. Foe example, on page 14, Griffin writes: "far from being a form of anti-modernism, cultural pessimism, nihilism, or 'resistance to transcendence', fascism is born precisely of a human need for a sense of transcendence, cultural optimism, and higher truths compatible with the forces of modernization." During the Trujillo era in the Dominican Republic, there was economic expansion, the foreign debt was paid off, the currency was stabilized, and there was an expansion of the middle class. Alongside this, the road system was enhanced, the port facilities were improved, and there was the construction of airports and public buildings and facilities (from "The Dominican Republic: U.S. Model for Third World Development", The Washington Connection and Third World Fascism, by Noam Chomsky and Edward S. Herman). There was a movement towards modernization, through aesthetic beautification that viscerally appealed to the general population. In addition, Griffin points to the abolition of certain institutions, such as political parties, the creation of certain terror apparatus in order to punish those who deviated from the prevalent world-view, and the emergence of a new meritocratic aristocracy led "by an inspired leader" (pga. 16-17, Griffin). Rafael Leonidas Trujillo, abolished the Partido Comunista Dominicano (PCD, The Dominican Communist Party) in 1947 and had "La Banda" or secret police that served to enforce his laws and punish those who spoke ill of him and his government. Furthermore, those who benefited most from the Trujiilo regime monetarily and in terms of socio-political ascendance were his family members and "those who associated themselves with the regime both politically and economically" (http://www.workmall.com/wfb2001/dominican_republic/dominican_republic_history_the_era_of _trujillo.html). How does all of this relate back to the song? Well, fascism placed an emphasis on youth and their relationship with the "leader." This song represents the way in which the leader was presented to the youth, and how the youth were to engage with the leader. He was their mythic savior. The fact that more than 50 years after the fact my mother can still remember the lyrics and the affect produced by singing the song, speaks to the way in which it functioned as a symbol of Trujillo's constructed nationalism. My family in the Dominican Republic, as part of the upper middle-class who attended country club functions with Trujillo in attendance and knew him personally, did not feel oppressed by Trujillo and in fact were supporters. Until his death my grandfather, who had served as Trujillo's driver during his military days, kept pictures of Trujillo hidden behind his bed after the family was exiled from the island. My mother speaks of the safety, the cleanliness and the pride of being Dominican during the Trujillo regime. The current political climate of the country alongside its dire economic situation presently makes the Trujillo era one that is not easily criticized by those who benefited from "El Generalisimo." The current food scarcity and devalued peso were not a reality during that time period. The 1937 massacre of more than 20,000 men, women and children from the neighboring country of Haiti, was not a reality until after Trujillo's assassination in 1961 when Freddy Prestol Castillo published his book El Massacre Se Pasa A Pie. A book written during the Trujillo regime by Castillo, but buried in his backyard until after the Trujillo era ended. The appeal of fascism is one that only in hindsight can be understood when atrocities are uncovered and the reality of its application is felt, witnessed and attested to.

Source: http://hemi.nyu.edu/cuaderno/politicalperformance2004/fascism/webpages/fasIntl3.html