I just finished reading ex-presidential palace journalist José Baez Guerrero, biographical account of President Antonio Guzmán, who was responsible for retiring the old neo-trujillistas military after Balaguer passed on the baton, of his forgettable 12 years in office.
Almost 400 pages of carefully detailed accounts of President's Guzmán years in office and his last days, previous to his regretable suicide, with his own revolver, in the presidential palace barber's chair.
The book also reveals details of the corruption schemes and the dirty rotten scoundrels of the PRD that used the government posts, for their personal gain and enrichment.
Among those mentioned in the book is former secretary of agriculture under Guzmán and later president himself, Hipolito Méjia, who in page number 195 reads as follows:

"Mejia was one of the intimate circle of Guzmán, that have performed treason. President Guzmán had decided to remove Mejía, and he (Mejía) went to the palace to cry before President Guzmán so he would not remove him from his post, as secretary of agriculture".

The book also mentions:
"Mejía was accused of improper influencing so that official entities gave millionaire credits without any guarantees or collateral, to companies owned by him, of hundreds of millions of pesos, to buy seeds and agricultural goods, and directing all the profitable purchases to other companies owned by him (Mejía), without any tenders or public bids, disallowing any other competitors".

I heartedly recommend the book, although the list price is rather stiff at US$35.00.

Generoso, does it say anything about Guzman's corrupted family members, whom he appointed, who were robing the DR blind?.

Or anything about what so many Dominicans believe he killed himself:

Because he blamed himself for making it possible for his family members and friends to do what they did?.

Gene, I question the fact the Guzman killed himself based on several conversations with my grandfather (RiP). I was given a different account of his death, murder. Does the book give any details of this? To put in short he was murdered because of his discovery of a mega corruption scheme involving close and intimate members of his family and his refusal to contribute to the corrupt scheme. Now I'm not providing this as hearsay as per my grandfather he (Guzman) were good friends. My grandfather was somewhat well connected in Dominican Politics, had many associates, few friends, many enemies and a cousin who also became president of DR.

Therefore I would like to know if there ever has been any real valid and tangeable facts that would support the speculation of murder?

I heard the same exact "things" from my father and his circle or friends (mostly Military people).

The "reasons" and "stories" are endless.

Yes, the book says a lot about Guzmán corrupted family members, including his daughter and son in law, although it is explicit in putting the blame for his suicide on many other factors, including threats of prosecution, by then president-elect Salvador Jorge Blanco.
Again he did blame himself for the corruption of family members and close associates like Hipolito Mejía, but he also felt deserted by his cabinet and friends, when Jorge Blanco won the elections and there was a scramble to abandon the sinking ship, of his administration.
The fact that he killed himself and it was not an " accident" as the official version said, is indeed a fact that was witnessed by many high ranking officers that were in the next room, since he locked himself in the bathroom, after many days with all the symptoms of a severe suicidal depression.

Guzmán killed himself without a doubt. I know this from reading the book, and also from testimony of a very close friend that was military that got the version from a eyewitness that was present, at the time he pulled the trigger.
You have to read the book, but it provides and hour by hour description of events, the last two days of his life, and it is credible beyond any doubt.
To believe he was murdered by outside forces is just conspiracy theories, and I give it no possibility of
that version having any truth to it.
No real facts support the theory that he was murdered. There were just too many witnesses present, just a few feet away from him, at the time he shot himself, and also the odd way he was acting act and his behavior the last couple of days, before he actually pulled the trigger.
If you guys insist, I don't really want to divulge the best part of the book, but I can narrate the last minutes of his suicide, upon request.

I tell you Tupa, I have finished reading the book, and will read it again, it is so good and well written.
But the documentation, and careful narration with minute details, from an actual eye witness that was there, and that took the time to make notes and interview all other witnesses is priceless.
It also gave me a glimpse into how Dominican populism and cronyism are corrupting our nation like a cancer that has metastasized, and how most DR politicians have no scruples, honor or loyalty.

gen whatever you can bring yourself to narrate for us would be much appreciated. it is great that you have suggested a title for us, and the topic is surely intriguing but I can't make room for 400 pages of detail right now

I have to say that honor and shame have become weak in societies on our side of the world. so weak that it is always strange to hear of notable figures who actually killed themselves after massive failure. I recall a few weeks back reading about a Korean politico killing himself just because allegations of corruption had tarnished his name...meanwhile a Bernie Madoff can still look himself in the mirror and hasn't hung himself!

HateroPardo:
This is the condensed version.

Guzmán was glassy eyed, with a distant look in his eyes, as if there was nobody home. He no longer enjoyed being with his famous horses in the DR presidential beach house in Juan Dolio/Guayacanes.
He sat in the cement benches in the beach house for many moments, just looking at the horizon, and he seemed in a distant world.
The correct psychiatric evaluation is that the severely depressed person rises from their lethargic state,
and gathers new energy, when the suicidal person has finally committed to ending their lives.
President Guzmán had the suicidal impulse, and he decided to go to Santo Domingo, one last time and end it there.
He called for the secretary of the armed forces, Lt. general Mario Imbert Mcgregor who was in Jarabacoa, to come to the palace immediately, where he would meet with him.
Guzmán arrived at the national palace and started cleaning up his desk, and organizing all his personal papers.
The secretary of the armed forces, arrived at the palace and was taken immediately to the office of president Guzman where they met in private; the president conversed with his most loyal and high ranking general, and gave him specific instructions that, "the democratic process in Dominican Republic shall always continue and the armed forces will always be obedient to the civilian authorities".
After some meetings with other advisors, he gave orders to prepare the vehicles to return to Juan Dolio, at once.
The president's security staff where in quick motion and the cars were lining up downstairs, and being readied for the trip. Engines were revving, and the president was in motion, and he said to the chief of the presidential guard" to wait a minute, that he had to go to the bathroom", and entered alone and locked the door behind him. The bathroom was next to his office, with a barber chair's, where he normally had hair trims. But this time his intentions where not a haircut, again, several minutes passed and the presidential guards where getting worried. His top gun and chief of the presidential guard waited, just outside the door to the bathroom, and was calling out "Are you Ok Mr. President", and Guzmán was replying "Ya voy", and again some more time passed, and the president was called one more: "Is everything all right, Sir? and he replied, "Sí, ya voy, un momento". The lieutenant coronel was getting muy impaciente now, and he decided to try to open the locked door, when the door didn't open, he decided to break it.
That is when the shot was fired, and the officer entered and Guzmán was sitting in the barber chair, with a bullet hole in his head, but still conscious.
Nobody else was with him, and he had used a gold plated revolver that was given to him by all the military jefes, to then put in his mouth and pull the trigger.

Another interesting thing about how honorable a man President Guzmán was, that he knew his sworn enemy president elect Jorge Blanco had epilepsy seizures, which if public have had knowledge, that information would have probably prevented him from taking office, because he did not disclose that illness. But noble president Guzmán didn't use that information against him.

many thanks for spending those moments summarizing the events for us gen. I hope when you can you share other info from the book on his administration.

my knowledge on him is very little. I just remember when I first asked my mom about politics, she painted this story in broad strokes. she said she believed hat in truth he was assasinated, but that yes everything had def gone to hell around him including his fam. and she said after his suicide she never voted again and would never believe in any other politicians. and that for that story I also should avoid politics as well

so it's a great service to flesh this out for us gen, and hope you bring more. we need to know how DR's politics got where they are.

esto si me instruye Y acrecenta de inmediato mi actividad