10 Facts About Ulises Heureaux

Ulises Heureaux's father was Jose D'Assas Heureaux Fortune, who was born in Cap-Haitien, Haiti, the son of Pierre Alexandre Heureaux, Judge of the Civil Court in Cap-Haitien, and one of his household staff.

Ulises Heureaux's mother Josefa Leibert was born on the island of Saint Thomas.

Ulises Heureaux's father was Haitian mulatto and his mother was African.

Luperon, still the leader of the ruling Azul Party, backed General Segundo Imbert, while Ulises Heureaux supported the candidacy of General Francisco Gregorio Billini.

Ulises Heureaux assured Luperon that he would support Imbert should he win the election, but he had ballot boxes in critical precincts stuffed in order to assure Billini's election.

Ulises Heureaux was succeeded by Vice President Alejandro Woss y Gil, and Heureaux assumed an expanded role under the new government, with a number of his adherents included in the cabinet and the general himself assuming command of the national army to stem a rebellion led by Guillermo, who committed suicide when faced with capture.

The blatancy of the electoral fraud committed by Ulises Heureaux led the supporters of his opponent, Casimiro de Moya, to attempt an armed rebellion in the Cibao Valley.

Ulises Heureaux developed an extensive network of secret police and informants to avert rebellions, assassinating or forcing into exile the politicians who he could not co-opt.

Ulises Heureaux's dictatorship undertook many ambitious projects to modernize the country, including the electrification of Santo Domingo, the construction of a bridge over the Ozama River, and the initiation of inland rail service on a single-track line linking Santiago to Puerto Plata.

The Westendorp Company went bankrupt in 1892, after its agent revealed fraud in the Customs Service, where Ulises Heureaux arranged preferential tariff treatment for some of his domestic creditors.