THE DECISION TO KILL THE MIRABAL SISTERS

There were quite a few factors that possibly led to the ever-arrogant and self-important Trujillo's decision to have the Mirabal sisters killed. They posed a great threat to his regime, as they had become well-known and admired all over the island. No matter how many times Trujillo jailed them, no matter how much of their property and possessions he seized, Minerva, Patria and Maria Teresa refused to give up on their mission to restore democracy and civil liberties to the island nation. The married Trujillo was known to have an inclination for romancing young girls and had his many mistresses housed in mansions scattered all over the island. At the 1949 celebration in San Cristobal, Trujillo failed in his attempt to seduce Minerva. In his book Tres Heroínas y un Tirano, Miguel A. García cites this exchange between Minerva and the dictator as they danced:

TRUJILLO: Do you agree with my political ideology?
MINERVA: Politics don't interest me.
TRUJILLO: And what if I send my subjects to conquer you?
MINERVA: And what if I conquer your subjects?