Just reading up on some of the events between 1966 and 1978. I lived through part of that even though I was a kid, but still remember the fear and intimidation everyone felt at "La Banda", still remember this or that person being arrested and "disappeared". My family was definitely in the opposition with my dad and uncle being deeply anti-Reformista. As much as we complain about corruption nowadays we should at least be thankful that in addition to the corruption we don't have politically motivated killings. We have indeed come a long way, with a longer way still to go. Here is the link Elections and Events 1970-1989 - UCSD Libraries.
Here are a couple of excerpts.
Atkins 1998: "In April 1971 the armed forces and police helped to create and then sponsored a right-wing terrorist group of young men known as 'La Banda' (its euphemistic full name was Anti-Terrorist and Anti-Communist Democratic Front of Reformst Youth) for the purpose of silencing the opposition" (page 155).
Chester 2001: "The cycle of state-sponsored violence reached a crescendo in the spring of 1971, when a shadowy group known as La Banda...murdered three hundred leftists in a brief, but intense, campaign of terror" (page 273).
Rutinel Dom?nguez 2000: "La Banda: Grupo paramilitar derechista organizado hacia 1971 con el nombre de 'Frente Democr?tico Reformista Anticomunista,' y que por la forma de actuaci?n el pueblo bautizara como 'La Banda'" (page 69
Haggerty 1991: "The PRD...nominated Silvestre Antonio Guzm?n Fern?ndez to oppose Balaguer in the elections of May 16, 1978. A relatively heavy 70 percent turnout seemed to favor the PRD; early returns confirmed this as Guzm?n built a sizable lead. Early in the morning of May 17, however, military units occupied the Central Electoral Board and impounded the ballots. Clearly, Balaguer was attempting to nullify the balloting or to falsify the results in his favor. Only forceful remonstrances by the Carter administration, backed up by a naval deployment, moved Balaguer to allow the resumption of the vote count. Two weeks later, Guzm?n's victory was officially announced" (page 34). "Although the Central Electoral Board acknowledged the PRD's victories in the races for the presidency and the Chamber of Deputies (the lower house of Congress), it managed through some creative counting-apparently taking the number of ballots not used in some provinces and dividing them among the top two vote-getters-to give Balaguer's PR a sixteen-to-eleven majority in the Senate" (page 35).
Espinal 1994: "In 1978, followers of the incumbent Joaquin Balaguer attempted a coup when it became evident that the PRD was ahead in the electoral count. High-ranking military officers broke into the electoral office the morning after election day, stopping the counting of the ballots. The impasse generated by this action lasted about two months, a period during which it was unknown whether the PRD would take office. Finally, the Electoral Board shifted results around in four provinces in order to grant Balaguer's party a majority of representatives in the Senate. Short of being completely out of power, the PRD accepted the results announced by the Electoral Board, which granted the PRD the presidency and a majority in the House of Deputies. The way, the founding elections (i.e., the elections of the transition) were marked by irregularities, and the terms of the transition itself were ultimately decided by the Electoral Board" (page 152).
Wiarda 1992: "After what seemed an inordinately long delay and concessions granted to the 'Balagueristas' that included giving them majority control in the Dominican Senate, Guzm?n was named the winner with 832,319 votes to 669,112 for Balaguer. World opinion, strong pressure from the Carter administration, and vigilance and direct actions by the Dominicans combined to save the democratic process" (page 50).
Thanks should be given to Jimmy Carter for forcing Balaguer to accept defeat and thus potentially averting another civil war in The DR.
What a prick Balaguer was and thanks god he's done and dead, otherwise I wouldn't put it past him to still be influencing Dominican politics.
Here are a couple of excerpts.
Atkins 1998: "In April 1971 the armed forces and police helped to create and then sponsored a right-wing terrorist group of young men known as 'La Banda' (its euphemistic full name was Anti-Terrorist and Anti-Communist Democratic Front of Reformst Youth) for the purpose of silencing the opposition" (page 155).
Chester 2001: "The cycle of state-sponsored violence reached a crescendo in the spring of 1971, when a shadowy group known as La Banda...murdered three hundred leftists in a brief, but intense, campaign of terror" (page 273).
Rutinel Dom?nguez 2000: "La Banda: Grupo paramilitar derechista organizado hacia 1971 con el nombre de 'Frente Democr?tico Reformista Anticomunista,' y que por la forma de actuaci?n el pueblo bautizara como 'La Banda'" (page 69
Haggerty 1991: "The PRD...nominated Silvestre Antonio Guzm?n Fern?ndez to oppose Balaguer in the elections of May 16, 1978. A relatively heavy 70 percent turnout seemed to favor the PRD; early returns confirmed this as Guzm?n built a sizable lead. Early in the morning of May 17, however, military units occupied the Central Electoral Board and impounded the ballots. Clearly, Balaguer was attempting to nullify the balloting or to falsify the results in his favor. Only forceful remonstrances by the Carter administration, backed up by a naval deployment, moved Balaguer to allow the resumption of the vote count. Two weeks later, Guzm?n's victory was officially announced" (page 34). "Although the Central Electoral Board acknowledged the PRD's victories in the races for the presidency and the Chamber of Deputies (the lower house of Congress), it managed through some creative counting-apparently taking the number of ballots not used in some provinces and dividing them among the top two vote-getters-to give Balaguer's PR a sixteen-to-eleven majority in the Senate" (page 35).
Espinal 1994: "In 1978, followers of the incumbent Joaquin Balaguer attempted a coup when it became evident that the PRD was ahead in the electoral count. High-ranking military officers broke into the electoral office the morning after election day, stopping the counting of the ballots. The impasse generated by this action lasted about two months, a period during which it was unknown whether the PRD would take office. Finally, the Electoral Board shifted results around in four provinces in order to grant Balaguer's party a majority of representatives in the Senate. Short of being completely out of power, the PRD accepted the results announced by the Electoral Board, which granted the PRD the presidency and a majority in the House of Deputies. The way, the founding elections (i.e., the elections of the transition) were marked by irregularities, and the terms of the transition itself were ultimately decided by the Electoral Board" (page 152).
Wiarda 1992: "After what seemed an inordinately long delay and concessions granted to the 'Balagueristas' that included giving them majority control in the Dominican Senate, Guzm?n was named the winner with 832,319 votes to 669,112 for Balaguer. World opinion, strong pressure from the Carter administration, and vigilance and direct actions by the Dominicans combined to save the democratic process" (page 50).
Thanks should be given to Jimmy Carter for forcing Balaguer to accept defeat and thus potentially averting another civil war in The DR.
What a prick Balaguer was and thanks god he's done and dead, otherwise I wouldn't put it past him to still be influencing Dominican politics.
