Francisco Caamaño
| Francisco Caamaño | |
|---|---|
| Member of Revolutionary Committee of April 1965 in the Dominican Republic | |
|
In office May 4, 1965 – August 30, 1965 |
|
| Preceded by | Triumvirate |
| Succeeded by | Joaquín Balaguer |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 11, 1932 Santo Domingo |
| Died | February 16, 1973 (aged 40) San Jose de Ocoa |
| Nationality | Dominican |
| Relations |
Danilo Medina (second-cousin) Lucía Medina (second-cousin) |
| Occupation | Soldier, politician |
Col. Francisco Alberto Caamaño Deñó (June 11, 1932 – February 16, 1973) was a Dominican soldier and politician who took the constitutional presidency of the Dominican Republic during the Civil War of 1965. He was the son of General Fausto Caamaño Medina; his father was cousin of Juan Pablo Medina de los Santos, the father of both President Danilo Medina Sánchez and House Speaker Lucía Medina Sánchez.
Francisco Caamaño was born on June 11, 1932 in Santo Domingo. His father was a prominent military figure during the dictatorship of Rafael Leonidas Trujillo, and came to receive the highest decorations of the regime, and became the Secretary of State for the Armed Forces (Defense Minister) from 1952 to 1955. His father's family is originally from San Juan de la Maguana, with a family lineage which includes other military personalities like Plutarco Medina (1889-1983), and Jorge Casimiro Medina Fernandez, who was a leading lieutenant colonel of the Army. Thanks to the influence of his marked military kindred, Francisco Alberto stood out in an efficient and careful vocation of service to the military institutions of his country, entering very young to the Dominican Navy, where he graduated as a second lieutenant and advanced rapidly in the military ranks. During the last years of the Era of Trujillo, Caamaño commanded the White Helmets Corps of the National Police.
During the Dominican Republic Civil War that began on April 24, 1965 he was one of the leaders in the movement to restore the democratically elected President Dr. Juan Bosch, who had been overthrown in a military coup d'état in September, 1963. This faction of loyalists came to be known as the Constitucionalistas, for their desire to return to a rightful and constitutional form of government, as opposed to the military junta that was in place.
As the Constitucionalistas successfully seized and held Santo Domingo over the initial days of the uprising, U.S. President Lyndon Johnson ordered an invasion by the U.S. military, dubbed as Operation Power Pack, with the pretext that the lives of American citizens there needed to be protected. A factor that was arguably more involved in the decision was the fear that the Constitucionalistas would bring about a communist regime in the country, and this risk of "another Cuba" was something that would not be allowed.
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