The separation of Haiti began the period of the national petty bourgeoisie’s open struggles against the social and political power of the ranchers, but we may be certain that this period was preceded by one of covert struggles waged within the confines of the alliance that the petty bourgeoisie of La Trinitaria had to make with the ranching sector. This is clearly demonstrated by the fact that the petty bourgeoisie of La Trinitaria was organized around a leader, Juan Pablo Duarte, even before the events of the Puerta del Conde, and the ranchers hastened to supplant Duarte with another leader, Pedro Santana, immediately following these events. Additionally, it has been stated that the persecution of Duarte ordered by the Haitian government resulted from a denunciation of one of the Dominican conspirators belonging to the rancher group. If this were the case, this denunciation was the cause of Duarte’s absence from the country on February 27, 1844.