Juan Bosch

Juan Emilio Bosch y Gavi?o (30 June 1909, La Vega – 1 November 2001, Santo Domingo) was the first democratically elected president of the Dominican Republic after the assassination of dictator Rafael Le?nidas Trujillo in 1961. He founded the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD) in 1939 and the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) in 1973. He was also a well-known writer, mostly producing short stories and tales.

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Due to his opposition to Trujillo, he was exiled from the country in 1937. Bosch returned following Trujillo's assassination and was elected president in December 1962 as the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD) candidate. Conservative military officers opposed to his socialist policies launched a successful coup d'?tat seven months later.

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In 1965, perredistas (pro-Bosch PRD members) who referred to themselves as Constitutionalists overthrew the Reid government and installed Rafael Molina Ure?a as provisional president. Both civilians and junior military officers took part in the revolt. However, their actions provoked a counter-response from the dominant conservative wing of the military, who called themselves Loyalists, and a civil war broke out. On April 25, 1965, the Loyalists launched tank assaults and bombing runs against the new government, but the Constitutionalists remained in power.

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On April 28th, the U.S. intervened in the civil war and dispatched 20,000 troops to the island. U.S. president Lyndon B. Johnson justified the intervention based on his belief that the PRD was filled with communists. An interim government was set up, and elections were held on July 1, 1966 that saw Bosch defeated by Joaqu?n Balaguer of the Reformist Party (PR,) who garnered 57% of the vote. Balaguer's candidacy was bolstered by fear of resurgent violence should Bosch win, as well as support from conservative sectors including peasants, religious women, and businessmen.

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As a rival of Joaqu?n Balaguer, Bosch remained an important figure in Dominican politics, later forming the splinter Dominican Liberation Party (PLD.) He ran unsuccessfully for president as the PLD candidate in 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, and 1994.

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30 June: REDIRECT June 30...

1909: 1909 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar)....

1 November: REDIRECT November 1...

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