The Italian Legacy in the Dominican Republic

uan Bautista Vicini Burgos (1871-1935), born out of wedlock, was the son of Juan Bautista Vicini Cánepa

(1847-1900), a native of nearby Genoa and the first Vicini to arrive in the Dominican Republic in 1860.

Toward the end of the first military occupation by the United States (1916-1924), the Hughes-Peynado

Agreement (1922) was negotiated, calling for presidential elections to be held under a provisional Domin-

ican president, instead of a U.S. governor, after which the U.S. troops would withdraw.

That provisional government would be led by a president chosen by the main leaders of the political par-

ties (Horacio Vásquez, Federico Velásquez,and Elías Brache, Jr.), as well as the Archbishop of Santo Domingo,

Adolfo Nouel. Despite opposition from those pleading for a “pure and simple” departure, the party leaders

chose Vicini Burgos as provisional president in 1922. One of his main achievements was to organize the presi-

dential election in March 1924. These would be the first veritably free election for the country, and they were

won by a wide margin by Horacio Vásquez, who was sworn in July of that year. Vicini Burgos retired and

would not involve himself in politics again.

CHAPTER 15

Juan Bautista (“Chicho”) Vicini Burgos

By Bernardo Vega

Former Governor of Banco Central and former Dominican Ambassador to Washington, D.C.

•

Juan Bautista Vicini Burgos, President

of the Dominican Republic from

October 21, 1922 to July 12, 1924.