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The Dominican Republic is a country in the eastern part of the island called Hispanolia. The island is also occupied by Haiti. Hispanolia lies off the Southeast coast of Florida in the Carribean. The island was colonized by the French who occupied the west and the Spanish who settled in the east. The Dominican Republic has been governed by a series of dictatorships since its inception in 1844. The U.S. Marines occupied the country between 1916 and 1924 but the political system was eventually won over by Rafael Trujillo who held despotic rule over the Dominican Republic from 1930 until his assassination in 1961. Although Trujillo improved economic conditions for the country he ruthlessly suppressed any political opposition that challenged his power. The United States occupied the capital city of Santo Domingo in 1965 and assisted the country's long transition to democratic governance. The political relationship that developed...