The Dominican Civil War, also known as the April Revolution, occurred from April 24th to September 3rd, 1965, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. It began when supporters of ousted President Juan Bosch, both civilian and military, removed President Donald Reid Cabral, who had come to power through a military installation. This second coup prompted General Elías Wessin y Wessin to mobilize loyalist military forces in support of President Reid, leading to an armed conflict against the rebels known as the "constitutionalists." The rebels distributed weapons to civilian sympathizers.
Allegations of communist support for the rebels, including foreign involvement, led to the intervention of the United States in the conflict under the codename Operation Power Pack. Eventually, the conflict resulted in an occupation of the Dominican Republic by the Inter-American Peace Force, representing the Organization of American States. Elections were held in 1966, and Joaquín Balaguer was elected as the new president. Later that year, foreign troops withdrew from the country.
As a result of Operation Power Pack, communism did not take hold in the Dominican Republic. However, critics argue that it set a precedent for further U.S. interventions in Latin America.
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