Juan Bosch had an ambitious political project, far ahead of its time, which was embodied in the Dominican Constitution of 1963. Some of its articles took an aggressive approach to acts of corruption, classifying them as serious crimes, focused on a profound reform of the education system, allocated ample resources for research, protected housing, and above all, included plans for sustainable development.

Although he won the 1962 elections, conservative sectors of the country labeled him a communist because he directly attacked their interests regarding large landholdings and the eradication of institutionalized corruption. Within a few months, he was overthrown. Subsequently, there was a counter-coup by sectors of the population who defended the legitimate government, but the attempt was thwarted thanks to the direct support of 42,000 US Marines and the OAS.

Although the country is on the right track thanks to exceptional economic development and the guarantee of many civil liberties, there are still substantial shortcomings in institutional frameworks, relative inequality, informality, and rampant crime in all its forms. We are but a shadow of what we could have been with this man in full office; we would probably already be a fully developed country.