US Marines Occupy Haina and Embajador Hotel. 82nd Airborne Lands at San Isidro.

[MommC]

El Jefe makes some intersting personal observations....

I too have been told by others that US intervention had more to do with protecting US interests (citizens and companies) and also collecting the Trujillo debt than with concerns of a communist takeover. Interesting to hear the same thoughts from someone else. At the time I suspected that this "theory" (for lack of a better word) was just the ramblings of a very old American man who lived in the DR (still does) at the time.

 

[El Jefe]

Tony,

My family was there and very active in the American community...I nor anyone in my family knows of anyone who was "rounded up and threatened". There were some threats to those who went to the Embajador as a result of the evacuation. These were folks who went there voluntarily. Most Americans did not evacuate.

Yes, Castro did furnish some arms but most of the rebels were carrying San Cristobals and such from the Dominican Army's stores. They were handed out in the streets.

The OAS participated in the same way the Coalition (except the British) participated in the Gulf War. The OAS's only teeth were the US troops.

 

[Pib]

Re: El Jefe makes some intersting personal observations....

also collecting the Trujillo debt than with concerns of a communist takeover.

Aren't you confusing 1916 with 1965? In 1965 Trujillo was what we the experts like to call "fairly dead".

 

[MommC]

I know that PIB......

but what I was told was that there still was a lot of unpaid debt owing to the US from the Trujillo era........

Perhaps while on the subject you could clarify for me when the time period was that the US took over the collection of custom duties in the DR......

 

[Pib]

When you drive by the Malec?n look for the "Obelisco Hembra" or "Trujillo-Hull" (the original name), it marks the ocassion in 1940 when an agreement was reached on the terms to fully-pay the debt. Obviously Trujillo was still alive. The debt was paid in full in 1947.

edited to add:

Sorry, I didn't see the other questions.

The US took over the Customs (actually created it, sort of) in 1907 and let go in 1940, part of the Trujillo-Hull agreement.

Darn, those lessons did pay off...

 

[Tony C]

Tony,

My family was there and very active in the American community...I nor anyone in my family knows of anyone who was "rounded up and threatened".

Well if your family says so then I guess that is that!

I have talked to people that were there and were threatened!

I pointed out the that the weapons intercept proves Castro's complicity!

 

[MommC]

Thanks PIB.....I find it hard to find Dominican history books in English.....especially up here!!

 

[Porfio_Rubirosa]

Tell It To The Marines

Tony C. - "Revisionist history"? The American history books don't even pretend anymore that Americans were really threatened in Santo Domingo. 15,000 US troops are a bit much to protect Americans at the Embajador Hotel, don't you think?

Though the whole matter is now, at best, a footnote, the US history books chalk it up to fear of communism and LBJ's desire to "prevent another Cuba".

Also, though the OAS participants didn't do any of the serious fighting, a Brazilian general ultimately took command of the "peacekeeping" (i.e. occupation) force. I presume that the OAS was bribed by the US - the same way the US buys allies in its Iraqi conflict.

Jefe - Do you really think that Wessin & Wessin would have ultimately prevailed without US help? My understanding was that the military had almost entirely fled or switched sides, and that even his "elite" troops had retreated to San Isidro from where they did not dare leave. He did have the P-51s, but one was actually shot down by rifle fire.

You also seem to say that the US was as much interested in stopping Bosch's "liberal" reforms as in stopping communism. Not suprisingly, Ambassador Martin does not suggest this in his book - which doesn't mean that it's not true. The question would become, though, who in Washington was really pressing for the invasion. If it were the hawks and military types, then it was about stopping communism. If it was sugar and banana companies, then it was, as you say, about maintaining the economic status quo. Did Bosch ever threaten to nationalize any American possessions?

MommC - Why don't you start a new thread about whether US bankers really want the DR to be in debt. It would be an interesting topic. Then I'll post a response for you about the weather in Tibet.

 

[MommC]

These were the events of April 1965. Ultimately, 15,000 US troops would occupy the country. I pose the question for anyone familiar with the history ? preferably people who were there or have second hand knowledge: Was the US invasion of Santo Domingo justified? Can anybody provide useful facts?
...

I think several of my posts on this thread have directly related to the questions you posed above as related to 1965 and to todays scenario in the DR. Ie> Was the invasion justified (as they are preparing to invade another nation). Can anybody provide usefull facts (both concerning the 1965 invasion of the DR. That the US lied (don't ALL gov'ts including the present DR Gov't). Americans were never in particular danger Or was it just another example of the US overreacting to events in its backyard pool??
So I think I've done my part on this thread....now maybe some of the Dominicans who frequent the board can answer some of your other questions!

 

[Not registered]

I'm confused

You mean to say that the US was in NO danger from the Dominican republic and they invaded just for something to do? I find it hard to beleive the US would become involved in the affairs of another nation unless there was a clear and present danger to the borders of the US

Has this ever happened before? If it has, I certainly hope no other countries were involved or went along with such tactics of the US

 

[Pib]

Please refrain from hijacking this thread to Iraq or I'll have to shoot the plane down (delete your posts). Please take the subject to the other thread.

 

[Porfio_Rubirosa]

Re: I'm confused

You mean to say that the US was in NO danger from the Dominican republic and they invaded just for something to do? I find it hard to beleive the US would become involved in the affairs of another nation unless there was a clear and present danger to the borders of the US

Has this ever happened before? If it has, I certainly hope no other countries were involved or went along with such tactics of the US

NR - You're kidding, right?

FOR THE RECORD - Pib has deleted some of the more off-topic posts of MommC in this thread, including, for example, a post where she asks about whether the DR will ever be able to pay off its debts. Knowing this will help the casual reader better understand the sequence of postings.

 

[Not registered]

I was being sarcastic

I did understand the OP to be about the US invasion and was inquiring as to the reason

 

[Pib]

Not deleted, only moved to another thread: http://dr1.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=19332

Please carry on.

 

[Porfio_Rubirosa]

NR - The reason for the OP, or the reason for the invasion?

 

[Not registered]

PIB

As a moderator, why don't you have a PM button?

 

[Pib]

I am not ALWAYS online and it may go unanswered for s long time. Email works just the same.

Porfirio, take into account that I don't know much about 1965, so... how true (if you know) is it that the figting (the little fighting that there was) was almost over by the times the marines arrived? Based on what? Books? Personal experience?

 

[Porfio_Rubirosa]

Pib,

I was not born yet. My info comes from books and articles that I've read on the subject. I'll try to find a good citation for you on the status of the two sides at the time of the invasion and post it here.

 

[Jersey Devil]

According to my wife, A Dominican native, Juan Bosch's leftward
leanings were what got the US involved. After all was over, Joaquin llego al poder, and the US allowed him to stay there.

 

[MommC]

from the World History archives:

The popular uprising of April 1965 captured Santo Domingo. Two days after a provisional government was formed, 23,000 United States marines started to invade.

Trujillo's former aide, Joaquin Balaguer, was installed as president, and the old system of institutional violence, corruption and electoral fraud was re-established. Democrats and Communists continued to resist. In the subsequent repression, the left lost many activists and prominent leaders.

Sounds very similar to the re-establishment of the Mafia in Italy after WWll