Jacinto Bienvenido Peynado was born on February 15, 1878 in San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic to father Jacinto Peynado Tejón and mother Manuela María Peynado. He died on March 7, 1940 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Jacinto was the 22nd Vice President and the 37th president. He was married to one woman his entire life, María de las Mercedes Soler Machado, and he had nine children. He also has a grandson who went on to follow in his footsteps and became Vice President of the Dominican Republic.
Life Before Being President
Before he became president he was the Vice President from August 16, 1934 to August 16, 1938. He studied in Santo Domingo to become a lawyer and used his degree to teach at the University of Santo Domingo as a law professor. While at the university he also became a dean. In 1914, at the age of 36, President Ramon Baez appointed him Minister for Justice and Public Education. He was also Minister of the Interior was meant he was in charge of overseeing the National Police Force for the entire country. Under the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo he became secretary to the President in 1932 and then in 1934 he was elected as Trujillo’s Vice President.
Life as President
On August 16, 1938 he became President and was only in office for a year and a half before he was forced to step down due to health problems. While he was in office he followed whatever guidelines Trujillo set forth for him and for the Dominican Republic. He also allowed Trujillo to attend council meetings even though he didn’t hold a chair in them and was not any kind of elected official. His Vice President was Manuel de Jesús Troncoso de la Concha and he took over the presidency once Jacinto Peynado got too ill. During his presidency he declared a law as to how the populations would be classified. Cities had more than 10,000 people, villas had more than 1,000 people and villages had less than 1,000 people.
Life After being President
Unfortunately, Jacinto Peynado did not have a long life after presidency. Within days of stepping down as President of the Dominican Republic he was dead. He stepped down on February 24, 1940 and died on March 7, 1940. He was only 62 years old when he died and he most likely spent his days after presidency in a hospital bed. He had only stepped down for 11 days before his death. It is rumored that he was ill before his presidency started but he didn’t want to disappoint Trujillo because he handpicked Peynado to become President after him. He tried to finish his term, which ended in 1942, but his health wouldn’t allow it. No one is certain what the cause of death was but he did die in a hospital.