HISTORY
The
island of Hispaniola, of which the Dominican Republic forms the
eastern two-thirds and Haiti the remainder, was originally occupied
by Tainos, an Arawak-speaking people. The Tainos welcomed Columbus
in his first voyage in 1492, but subsequent colonizers were brutal,
reducing the Taino population from about 1 million to about 500
in 50 years. To ensure adequate labor for plantations, the Spanish
brought African slaves to the island beginning in 1503.
In
the next century, French settlers occupied the western end of
the island, which Spain ceded to France in 1697, and which, in
1804, became the Republic of Haiti. The Haitians conquered the
whole island in 1822 and held it until 1844, when forces led by
Juan Pablo Duarte, the hero of Dominican independence, drove them
out and established the Dominican Republic as an independent state.
In 1861, the Dominicans voluntarily returned to the Spanish Empire;
in 1865, independence was restored. Economic difficulties, the
threat of European intervention, and ongoing internal disorders
led to a U.S. occupation in 1916 and the establishment of a military
government in the Dominican Republic. The occupation ended in
1924, with a democratically elected Dominican Government.
In
1930, Rafael L. Trujillo, a prominent army commander, established
absolute political control. Trujillo promoted economic development--from
which he and his supporters benefited--and severe repression of
domestic human rights. Mismanagement and corruption resulted in
major economic problems. In August 1960, the Organization of American
States (OAS) imposed diplomatic sanctions against the Dominican
Republic as a result of Trujillo's complicity in an attempt to
assassinate President Romulo Betancourt of Venezuela. These sanctions
remained in force after Trujillo's death by assassination in May
1961. In November 1961, the Trujillo family was forced into exile.
In
January 1962, a council of state that included moderate opposition
elements with legislative and executive powers was formed. OAS
sanctions were lifted January 4, and, after the resignation of
President Joaquin Balaguer on January 16, the council under President
Rafael E. Bonnelly headed the Dominican government.
In
1963, Juan Bosch was inaugurated President. Bosch was overthrown
in a military coup in September 1963. Another military coup, on
April 24, 1965, led to violence between military elements favoring
the return to government by Bosch and those who proposed a military
junta committed to early general elections. On April 28, U.S.
military forces landed to protect U.S. citizens and to evacuate
U.S. and other foreign nationals.
Additional
U.S. forces subsequently established order. In June 1966, President
Balaguer, leader of the Reformist Party (now called the Social
Christian Reformist Party--PRSC), was elected and then re-elected
to office in May 1970 and May 1974, both times after the major
opposition parties withdrew late in the campaign. In the May 1978
election, Balaguer was defeated in his bid for a fourth successive
term by Antonio Guzman of the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD).
Guzman's inauguration on August 16 marked the country's first
peaceful transfer of power from one freely elected president to
another.
The
PRD's presidential candidate, Salvador Jorge Blanco, won the 1982
elections, and the PRD gained a majority in both houses of Congress.
In an attempt to cure the ailing economy, the Jorge administration
began to implement economic adjustment and recovery policies,
including an austerity program in cooperation with the International
Monetary Fund (IMF). In April 1984, rising prices of basic foodstuffs
and uncertainty about austerity measures led to riots.
Balaguer
was returned to the presidency with electoral victories in 1986
and 1990. Upon taking office in 1986, Balaguer tried to reactivate
the economy through a public works construction program. Nonetheless,
by 1988 the country slid into a 2-year economic depression, characterized
by high inflation and currency devaluation. Economic difficulties,
coupled with problems in the delivery of basic services--e.g.,
electricity, water, transportation--generated popular discontent
that resulted in frequent protests, occasionally violent, including
a paralyzing nationwide strike in June 1989.
In
1990, Balaguer instituted a second set of economic reforms. After
concluding an IMF agreement, balancing the budget, and curtailing
inflation, the Dominican Republic experienced a period of economic
growth marked by moderate inflation, a balance in external accounts,
and a steadily increasing GDP that lasted through 2000.
The
voting process in 1986 and 1990 was generally seen as fair, but
allegations of electoral board fraud tainted both victories. The
elections of 1994 were again marred by charges of fraud. Following
a compromise calling for constitutional and electoral reform,
President Balaguer assumed office for an abbreviated term and
Congress amended the Constitution to bar presidential succession.
In
June 1996, Leonel Fernández Reyna of the Dominican Liberation
Party (PLD) was elected to a 4-year term as president. Fernández's
political agenda was one of economic and judicial reform. He helped
enhance Dominican participation in hemispheric affairs, such as
the OAS and the follow up to the Miami Summit. On May 16, 2000,
Hipolito Mejía, the PRD candidate, was elected president
in another free and fair election, soundly defeating PLD candidate
Danilo Medina and Former President Balaguer. Mejía championed
the cause of free trade and Central American and Caribbean economic
integration. The Dominican Republic signed a free trade agreement
with the United States and five Central American countries (DR-CAFTA)
in August 2004. During this administration, the government enacted
anti-trafficking and anti-money-laundering legislation, sent troops
to Iraq in support of the fight against terrorism, and ratified
the Article 98 agreement it had signed in 2002. Mejía faced
mounting domestic problems as a deteriorating economy--caused
in part by massive bank fraud--and constant power shortages plagued
the latter part of his administration.
During the Mejía administration, the Constitution was amended to permit an incumbent president to seek a second successive term, and Mejía ran for re-election. On May 16, 2004, Leonel Fernández was elected president, defeating Mejía 57.11% to 33.65%. Eduardo Estrella of the PRSC received 8.65% of the vote. Fernández took office on August 16, 2004, promising in his inaugural speech to promote fiscal austerity, to fight corruption and to support social concerns. Fernández said the Dominican Republic would support policies favoring international peace and security through multilateral mechanisms in conformity with the United Nations and the OAS. The Fernández administration works closely with the United States on law enforcement and immigration and counter-terrorism matters. In 2006 elections, Fernández' PLD won 60% of seats in the House of Representatives and 22 of 32 Senate seats, as well as a plurality of mayoral seats. On May 16, 2008, President Fernández was reelected President with 53.8% of the vote. His new term runs until 2012.
