Alejandro Woss y Gil was a Dominican

Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...

 politician and military figure. He was born in El Seibo

El Seibo

El Seibo , alternatively spelt El Seybo, is a province of the Dominican Republic. Before 1992 it included what is now Hato Mayor province.-Municipalities and municipal districts:...

 on May 5, 1856. His parents were Carlos Woss and María Linares. At young age he was sent Santiago de los Caballeros

Santiago de los Caballeros

Santiago de los Caballeros is a city in the Dominican Republic. Founded in 1495 during the first wave of European colonization of the New World, today Santiago is the second largest metropolis in the Dominican Republic, located in the north-central region of the Republic known as Cibao valley...

 to live with his uncle Gen. Evangelista Gil, who adopted him and encouraged to enter military service.

Woss y Gil served as Minister of Defense and as Vice President during the presidency of Francisco Gregorio Billini

Francisco Gregorio Billini

Francisco Gregorio Billini was a Dominican writer, pedagogue, and politician. He served as president of the Dominican Republic in name from September 1, 1884 until May 16, 1885. In fact, dictator Ulises Heureaux exercised real power behind the scenes.-Reference:* at the Enciclopedia Virtual...

, to whom he replaced after his resignation from May 16, 1885 until January 6, 1887. Former president Ulises Heureaux

Ulises Heureaux

Ulises Heureaux Lebert was president of the Dominican Republic from 1 September 1882 to 1 September 1883, from 6 January to 27 February 1887 and again from 30 April 1889 until his assassination, maintaining power between his terms.-Early life:Heureaux, affectionately known as Lilís, was born in...

 remained the dominant figure in national politics. In 1903, he led a coup against Juan Isidro Jimenes

Juan Isidro Jimenes

Juan Isidro Jimenes Pereyra was a Dominican political figure. He served as the president of the Dominican Republic between 15 November 1899 and 2 May 1902, and again between 5 December 1914 and 7 May 1916....

 and served again as president from March 23 until he was removed by Carlos Felipe Morales

Carlos Felipe Morales

Carlos Felipe Morales Languasco was a Dominican priest, politician and military figure. He was born in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic on August 23, 1868. He served as Governor of Puerto Plata during the presidency of Alejandro Woss y Gil to whom he led a coup on November 23, 1903...

 on October 24, 1903. Together with María Ricart Pérez he had a daughter, the noted painter Celeste Woss y Gil

Celeste Woss y Gil

Celeste Woss y Gil was a painter from the Dominican Republic. She was known for her paintings of nude women, which shocked the bourgeoisie of Santo Domingo when they were first exhibited. Stylistically, her work owes something to the paintings of Paul Gauguin...

. He died in Santo Domingo

Santo Domingo

Santo Domingo, known officially as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 3,294,385 in 2010. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River...

 in January 1932.

Reference

• Biography at the Enciclopedia Virtual Dominicana