Golo, I was sincerely hoping to hear your input on this topic.(Actually, I'm always interested in your opinions on any topic.)
I have to disagree with you on a few points.
Trujillo driving to his San Cristobal estate with only a single car and lone driver/body guard was a security tactic in itself. Trujillo in some ways was safer travelling in a lone car than with a large security detail. Large convoys only draw attention and Trujillo's presence would have been know to potential assassins using sniper rifles(killed President Kennedy), roadside/car bombs(almost killed Venezuelan President Bettancourt), or ambush(which did eventually kill Trujillo). Trujillo, until just fifteen days before his assassination, was not actually alone on his frequent trips to San Cristobal. A six car SIM security detail would patrol the highway ahead and behind Trujillo's car.
Trujillo recognized the security of the lone car travel himself.
Trujillo's security was compromised by some of his own soldiers. The killing of Trujillo was an inside job.
The shot gun blast which first wounded Trujillo was fired by Antonio de la Maza, not Imbert. Trujillo was hit in his side, not the shoulder. The final pistol shot which killed El Jefe was fired by De la Maza, not Imbert.
Trujillo fought and died bravely, no doubt. After being wounded by the shot gun blast, Trujillo cried out "Cono,I've been hit!" Trujillo's driver, Captain Zacarias de la Cruz, noted that Trujillo had not spoken those words in fear, but was instead incredulity. Quite simply, Trujillo seemed dumbfounded that anyone would dare shoot him. A second shotgun blast went through the car before Zacarias slammed on the brakes and Imbert(who was the assassin's car driver) overshot Trujillo's car.
Trujillo, despite being badly wounded, was still shouting orders to his driver. "Pendejos,pendejos,get the guns,we fight,get the maldito guns!" Trujillo's driver tried to convince El Jefe to retreat in the car back to Santo Domingo, Trujillo refused. "But Jefe, there are a lot of them...better we get out of here,Jefe." Trujillo only shouted,"No,no,no!" Zacarias was actually going to disobey Trujillo and drive away but stopped the car because Trujillo was in the process of unlocking the back door and getting out of the car to fight the assassins himself.
Zacarias grabbed one of two loaded machine guns in the front seat and fired, on full automatic, a burst of machine gun fire into the assassin car that was stopped only 50 feet away.
Antonio de la maza returned fire with his shotgun, Imbert fired with his 45. pistol, Estrella and Amadito were lying flat on the pavement firing thier pistols.
Zacarias emptied two seperate sub machine guns into the attackers and was in the process of aiming a third gun, a Thompson sub machine gun, when he was struck in the head by a bullet and knocked unconcious. (he had also been peppered with multiply gun shot wounds before the final head shot)
Trujillo had leaned up against his car and was firing his .38 caliber pistol.
De la Maza had circled around in the darkness and confusion and blasted Trujillo with another blast of his shot gun. Trujillo recieved the full blast of pellets. He still did not fall, instead he stumbled forward, then spun around, facing SD(Cuidad Trujillo) and finally collapsed. When Antonio de la Maza reached Trujillo, he was still, still alive, and breathing. De la Maza took Trujillo's pistol out of his hand and shot El Jefe in the face at point blank range. The bullet shattered Trujillo's chin and lodged behind his ear.
I don't consider what the assassins did as cowardly. This was a rare oppurtunity to kill Trujillo. If they had failed, Trujillo would have surrounded himself with intense security and that would have made it nearly impossible for future successful assassination.
This attack was all or nothing.
By the end of the gun battle, everyone had been hit by bullets, Imbert even suffered a bullet wound to his head. (I suppose a graze)
I have to disagree with you on a few points.
Trujillo driving to his San Cristobal estate with only a single car and lone driver/body guard was a security tactic in itself. Trujillo in some ways was safer travelling in a lone car than with a large security detail. Large convoys only draw attention and Trujillo's presence would have been know to potential assassins using sniper rifles(killed President Kennedy), roadside/car bombs(almost killed Venezuelan President Bettancourt), or ambush(which did eventually kill Trujillo). Trujillo, until just fifteen days before his assassination, was not actually alone on his frequent trips to San Cristobal. A six car SIM security detail would patrol the highway ahead and behind Trujillo's car.
Trujillo recognized the security of the lone car travel himself.
Trujillo's security was compromised by some of his own soldiers. The killing of Trujillo was an inside job.
The shot gun blast which first wounded Trujillo was fired by Antonio de la Maza, not Imbert. Trujillo was hit in his side, not the shoulder. The final pistol shot which killed El Jefe was fired by De la Maza, not Imbert.
Trujillo fought and died bravely, no doubt. After being wounded by the shot gun blast, Trujillo cried out "Cono,I've been hit!" Trujillo's driver, Captain Zacarias de la Cruz, noted that Trujillo had not spoken those words in fear, but was instead incredulity. Quite simply, Trujillo seemed dumbfounded that anyone would dare shoot him. A second shotgun blast went through the car before Zacarias slammed on the brakes and Imbert(who was the assassin's car driver) overshot Trujillo's car.
Trujillo, despite being badly wounded, was still shouting orders to his driver. "Pendejos,pendejos,get the guns,we fight,get the maldito guns!" Trujillo's driver tried to convince El Jefe to retreat in the car back to Santo Domingo, Trujillo refused. "But Jefe, there are a lot of them...better we get out of here,Jefe." Trujillo only shouted,"No,no,no!" Zacarias was actually going to disobey Trujillo and drive away but stopped the car because Trujillo was in the process of unlocking the back door and getting out of the car to fight the assassins himself.
Zacarias grabbed one of two loaded machine guns in the front seat and fired, on full automatic, a burst of machine gun fire into the assassin car that was stopped only 50 feet away.
Antonio de la maza returned fire with his shotgun, Imbert fired with his 45. pistol, Estrella and Amadito were lying flat on the pavement firing thier pistols.
Zacarias emptied two seperate sub machine guns into the attackers and was in the process of aiming a third gun, a Thompson sub machine gun, when he was struck in the head by a bullet and knocked unconcious. (he had also been peppered with multiply gun shot wounds before the final head shot)
Trujillo had leaned up against his car and was firing his .38 caliber pistol.
De la Maza had circled around in the darkness and confusion and blasted Trujillo with another blast of his shot gun. Trujillo recieved the full blast of pellets. He still did not fall, instead he stumbled forward, then spun around, facing SD(Cuidad Trujillo) and finally collapsed. When Antonio de la Maza reached Trujillo, he was still, still alive, and breathing. De la Maza took Trujillo's pistol out of his hand and shot El Jefe in the face at point blank range. The bullet shattered Trujillo's chin and lodged behind his ear.
I don't consider what the assassins did as cowardly. This was a rare oppurtunity to kill Trujillo. If they had failed, Trujillo would have surrounded himself with intense security and that would have made it nearly impossible for future successful assassination.
This attack was all or nothing.
By the end of the gun battle, everyone had been hit by bullets, Imbert even suffered a bullet wound to his head. (I suppose a graze)
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