The Dominican Republic was led by Leonel Fernndez for 12 years between 1996 and 2012.
 Over the next 72 years, the Dominican Republic experienced mostly civil wars (financed with loans from European merchants), several failed invasions by its neighbour, Haiti, and brief return to Spanish colonial status, before permanently ousting the Spanish during the Dominican War of Restoration of 18631865
 A provisional president was chosen, and later the same year relatively free elections put former president (18991902) Juan Isidro Jimenes Pereyra back in power

