Rafael Leónidas Trujillo Molina ( , ; 24 October 1891 – 30 May 1961 ) , nicknamed '' El Jefe '' ( , " The Chief " or " The Boss " ) , was a Dominican politician , soldier , and dictator , who ruled the Dominican Republic from February 1930 until his assassination in May 1961 . He served as president from 1930 to 1938 and again from 1942 to 1952 , ruling for the rest of the time as an unelected military strongman under figurehead presidents . His 31 years in power , to Dominicans known as the Trujillo Era ( ) , are considered one of the bloodiest eras ever in the Americas , as well as a time of a personality cult , when monuments to Trujillo were in abundance . Trujillo and his regime were responsible for many deaths , including between 20,000 and 30,000 Haitians in the infamous Parsley massacre
Parsley massacre
Parsley massacre
Rafael Trujillo