TRUJILLO MACHINE
[The following article by Antonio T. Diaz Royo appeared in the July 9 issue of Claridad, the weekly publication of the Movimiento Pro Independencia de ‘Puerto Rico, under the title, "Balaguer toma el poder -- Republica Dominicana retorna al . 7 trujillato" (Balaguer takes power -- the Dominican Republic returned to the Trujillo machine). The translation is by World Outlook. ]
Santo Domingo
An atmosphere of tension, which began during the elections won by President Joaquin Balaguer and which has continued to mount, featured the ceremonies inaugurating the new president. Still more important, with the seating of Balaguer, the tension. ‘grew even sharper. ;
All the evidence, in fact, shows that. the Trujillo machine is rapidly reestablishing itself as a direct result of the : intervention of the armed forces of the United States. The violation of Dominican sovereignty placed in the presidency a man who once held it under Trujillo, the same man who served as a puppet "president" while the bloody Trujillo, likewise a product of Yankee intervention, ruled the roost.
And along with Balaguer, the whole “Prujillo machine , well oiled, is again running smoothly. For example, Balaguer's cabinet is made up entirely of old Trujillo figures with the exception of two. ministers. who say they belong to the Partido Revolucionario Dominicano headed by Juan Bosch but who in reality belong to the Dominican oligarchy. Both were expelled from the: party by Juan Bosch...
With the installation of. Balaguer as the- “consti tutional. president, " the CEFA went into operation. This: military. body,”
formerly headed by the sinister’ ‘Elias Wessin y Wessin, was set up” under Trujillo to maintain the "peace and order" needed to exploit the: people. The notorious corps has already earried out numerous: oo raids on the’ homes’ of well-known Constitutionalists. In fact the © family with whom I was staying during my’ visit here, and whose > oldest daughter suffered a bullet wound during the Constitutionalist uprising, was raidéd. After going through everything in the house on the claim that they were. searching for arms the, CEFA guards left without, finding’ anything. oe
In addition, the: CEFA, in connivance with the. “police - -whose new chief Likewise has a Trujillo background. - -- have been arresting activists of the Movimiento Revolucionario 14 de Junio : [Revolutionary Movement of June 14] in the countryside. Arrests and the torture of prisoners have been reported in Santiago, la Romana and other areas. I just had the opportunity to meet a June 14 activist who was tortured for eleven consecutive days. and © who after being released resolutely resumed the: struggle despite ~~ the blows he had received in prison. Besides being a leader-of - ' the June 14 Movement, this activist held a high post” in the Constitutionalist army during the April uprising.
As the transition toward a new edition of the Trujillo regime grimly moves forward, the people are coming to understand the accuracy of the slogan advanced by the June 14 Movement during © ar the elections: "If you want the 40 back and Ramfis again in sight, vote for Balaguer." [Si a la 40 quieres volver y a Ramfis quieres ver, vota por Balaguer.] The "40" is the well-known prison and scene of inhuman torture of Trujillo's days; Ramfis, the son of the dictator,is in Paris at present biding his time.
Many persons who participated in the ranks of the Constitutionalists are already looking for other jobs, since it-is public knowledge that the Balaguer government. plans to fire everyone who: openly opposed the North American intervention, whether - in words or deeds.
The political parties of the left for their part are alsobracing themselves for the most brutal repressive measures.’ All | of them are preoccupied with this, taking the necessary “steps © in: anticipation of difficult days.
An indication:of the drift of things is offered. by “the fact that it is possible to buy leftist books in the streets ‘at™ surprisingly low prices. But this is not due to the existence of an atmosphere of freedom -- on the contrary. What is happening is that all the bookstores are unloading bodks that might be "hot" and ‘letting . ‘them go at bargain prices. Bookstore owners know that © they will soon be the target of raids to destroy . éverything that! "smells bad." As a current popular phrase puts it, "These books | are now hot enough to burn." [De ahora en adélanté esos libros queman. |
. Meanwhile ‘Balaguer’ Ss inauguration ceremonies served. “to Be demonstrate the low standing of the "free associated state"
[ELA -- estado.libre asociado. The legal fiction is that Puerto . Rico is a "free commonwealth associated with the United States"]. 7 The representative of the ELA, Secretary of State Dr. Carlos Tastra) | suffered.a humiliating rebuff from. the budding dictator. It was .~ on television, for the whole country. to see.
“First. of all, Lastra had trouble gaining entrance due to failure to recognize his credentials. The Credentials Committee held that "this gentleman does not represent any government" and would not let him into the salon. Hence his conspicuous entrance after all the others were..at their places. He stuck out all the more because while all the others were dressed in strict white -the color. for a celebration in the tropics and even more among the Trujillo. aristocracy - --. Lastra was in black.
But it would have: been better if he had stayed away. There, among. photographers and cameramen from countries the world over, in front of the television cameras and consequently in front of the. whole country, he was humiliated (and along with him the alleged government he represented) when, getting ready to give the new "chief" an embrace, the president barred him, keeping him away with his hand.
And the truth is that Washington's aspirant dictators a puppets have utter contempt for the crawling colonialism that seeks to mask itself with the label of ELA.
ROBERT