General elections were held in the Dominican Republic on 16 May 1930.[1] They were held three months after President Horacio Vásquez was deposed in a coup led by Rafael Estrella Ureña. In a deal with Estrella, Dominican ArmycommanderRafael Trujillo kept his men in barracks under the pretense of "neutrality," clearing the way for Estrella to take over as provisional president. In return, Trujillo was allowed to run for president in the May elections. During the campaign, other candidates, as well as election officials, were subjected to severe harassment by Trujillo's soldiers.[2] The other candidates withdrew when it became clear that Trujillo would be the only candidate allowed to campaign unhindered, leaving him to win the presidency unopposed. The Confederation of Parties (also called the Patriotic Coalition of Citizens), a pro-Trujillo grouping, won every seat in the Congressional elections.
Trujillo went on to rule the country for the next three decades, either as president or the power behind puppet presidents.[2] According to official figures, the Dominican Party, which succeeded the Confederation of Parties in 1931, claimed to win elections with unanimous or near-unanimous support in all elections held during this time. It only dropped below 99 percent of the vote once in elections between 1934 and 1957.[3]
