Antonio de la Maza facts for kids

Antonio de la Maza (born May 24, 1912 – died June 4, 1961) was a Dominican businessman. He lived in Santo Domingo. Antonio de la Maza was against Rafael Trujillo, who was the powerful ruler of the Dominican Republic at the time. De la Maza was one of the main people who planned to remove Trujillo from power. This important event happened on May 30, 1961.

Early Life and Challenges

Antonio de la Maza was born in Moca, Espaillat, a town in the Dominican Republic. His family had connections to Horacio Vásquez, who was the country's president before Trujillo took over in 1930. After training with the military, De la Maza became a manager at a sawmill. This sawmill was owned by Trujillo.

Life under Trujillo's rule was difficult for many. In 1956, Antonio's brother, Octavio de la Maza, was wrongly blamed for a serious event. He was presented as being responsible for someone's death and was later killed. This was a very sad time for Antonio and his family.

Role in History

Antonio de la Maza played a key role in the plan to remove Rafael Trujillo from power. On the night of May 30, 1961, the plan was carried out. During this event, a pistol was left behind. This helped the secret police, known as the Servicio de Inteligencia Militar (SIM), figure out who was involved.

A few days later, Antonio de la Maza and another person named Juan Tomás Díaz were hiding. The SIM found them and they were killed.

Antonio de la Maza's story is remembered in books. He is a character in The Feast of the Goat, a famous novel written by Mario Vargas Llosa. This book tells the story of Trujillo's time in power and the events that led to his removal.

See also

In Spanish: Antonio de la Maza para niños