Letters To The Editor
Story of a dictator
I have just finished reading Junot Diaz's Pulitzer Prize winning novel “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao” set largely in the Dominican Republic during the tyrannical rule of Rafael Trujillo (1930-61). Even in Latin America -- a region known for its dictators -- Trujillo was in a class of his own. He had zero tolerance for dissent, real or perceived, and his opponents had a habit of disappearing mysteriously without a trace. He renamed public buildings, bridges and prominent landmarks after himself and his family members: even the capital city Santo Domingo was renamed Ciudad Trujillo. Large billboards were erected all over the country proclaiming “God in Heaven, Trujillo on Earth.” His sycophants even recommended him for the Nobel Peace Prize!
Sounds ominously familiar, doesn't it?
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