Foundations of Despotism: Peasants, the Trujillo Regime and Modernity in Dominican History (review)
conditions, most of the land planted in sugar was either controlled by a small number of large colonos and centralistas or by a large number of smallholders. According to Ayala, Puerto Rico had far more smallholders who worked their lands with the help of family labor (p. 141). Following the model created by Mintz, Ayala begins to describe the colonato in terms of small farms or minifundia. Ayala’s evidence—based on extensive primary and secondary source materials—shows the overwhelming importance and power of the Cuban sugar industry. Documentation of investment levels, size of farms, output of centrales, and so on, supports this claim without rejecting the importance of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic for the industry. This is a splendid book that explores a side of the encounter between the U.S. and the Spanish Caribbean during the twentieth century, making it a valuable reference to those interested in comparative colonialism and empire building.