Stenio Vincent Uneasy Alliance with the Dominican Republic

By 1934, after U.S. military forces pulled out, Stenio Vincent began oppressing opposition leaders, spying on and incarcerating them. Now a loyal supporter of U.S. democracy, he became signatory on a trade agreement with them. In 1935, he won the popular vote, keeping him in office until 1941.

Towards the end of 1937, violence threatened uneasy relations between Haiti and the Dominican Republic (DR). DR military forces teemed over Haiti's borders, attacking and slaughtering many thousands of Haitian workers. Vincent banned local news coverage, fearing it would ruin the alliance he had brokered with DR President Trujillo, from whom he had received foreign aid.

Two years later, news of the Parsley Massacre leaked, and Port-au-Prince erupted in violent protests over Stenio Vincent's botched handling of the DR invasion. A barter was struck for compensation to be paid to the victims' families in exchange for dropping an investigation against the DR.

In the meantime, opposition leaders attempted two coups, with Stenio Vincent growing more totalitarian. During the campaign season, tensions rose to a fever pitch, pressuring Vincent to cede power to Haiti provisional president, Élie Lescot.

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