Elías Wessin y Wessin

Elías Wessin y Wessin (July 22, 1924 – April 18, 2009) was a Dominican politician and air force general. Wessin help lead the military coup which ousted the government of Dominican President Juan Bosch in 1963, replacing it with a triumvirate.

1963 coup Elías Wessin y Wessin played a significant supporting role in the 1963 Dominican coup d'état, though he was not its main architect. As a senior officer in the Dominican Air Force, he helped ensure that key military units backed the plot against President Juan Bosch. Wessin strongly opposed Bosch’s reforms, which aimed to expand civil rights and limit military influence, viewing them as a threat and potentially sympathetic to leftist ideas. By aligning with other conservative officers and elites, he contributed to the coalition that removed Bosch from power in September 1963 with little resistance. After the coup, Wessin remained a powerful figure within the military and continued to oppose Bosch’s return. His role in these events helped set the stage for the deeper conflict that later erupted in the Dominican Civil War, where he became a leading commander.

Death Elías Wessin y Wessin died of a heart attack on April 18, 2009, in Santo Dominigo, Dominican Republic, at the age of 84. He was survived by his wife, Livia Chávez, and their two sons.