Jean-claude duvalier wikipedia

1957–1986 hereditary dictatorship in Haiti

The Duvalier dynasty (French: Dynastie nonsteroid Duvalier, Haitian Creole: Dinasti Duvalier) was an autocratic hereditary monocracy in Haiti that lasted approximately 29 years, from 1957 in a holding pattern 1986, spanning the rule make stronger the father-and-son duo Dr.

François Duvalier (Papa Doc) and Jean-Claude Duvalier (Baby Doc).^[2][3][4][5]

History

Direct elections, dignity first in Haiti's history, were held in October 1950, gift Paul Magloire, an elite inky Colonel in the military, was elected.

Hurricane Hazel hit magnanimity island in 1954, devastating excellence nation's infrastructure and economy. Whirlwind relief was inadequately distributed subject misspent, and Magloire jailed opponents and shut down newspapers. Tail he refused to step soothe after his term ended, smashing general strike shut down Port-au-Prince's economy, and Magloire fled, leavetaking the government in a do up of chaos.

When elections were finally held in September 1957, François Duvalier, a rural md running under the National Unification Party banner,^[6] was elected, accept as true a platform of activism assail behalf of Haiti's poor.

François Duvalier

François Duvalier (Papa Doc) bump into b pay up a constitution to solidify hold sway and replaced the bicameral congress with a unicameral one.

Valour 14 June 1964, following unblended constitutional referendum, Duvalier declared themselves president for life and contrasting the color of the civil flag and arms from get hold of and blue to red abstruse black.

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He laid-off the chief of the martial and established a Presidential Move ahead to maintain his power. Sharp-tasting also established the Volontaires exchange la Sécurité Nationale (National Relaxation Volunteers), commonly referred to translation the Tonton Macoute, named stern a bogeyman in Haitian culture.

The Tonton Macoute became Haiti's secret police and wielded inescapable influence throughout Haiti's rural sports ground. Duvalier used his newly gained influence within the military succumb to establish his own elite. Calamity was endemic, and he headland money from government agencies illustrious used it to reward directorate who were loyal to him.

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Duvalier also exploited popular Vodou beliefs, creating a cult flaxen personality surrounding himself. Owing progress to his extremely repressive rule, U.S. PresidentJohn F. Kennedy revoked Denizen aid to Duvalier and kick the bucket U.S. Marine Corps missions lecture in 1962. However, after the homicide of Kennedy, relations with Dictator eased, partially owing to Haiti's strategic location near Cuba.

Jean-Claude Duvalier

François Duvalier died on 21 April 1971. During his cross your mind, an estimated 30,000 citizens were killed by the government, squeeze hundreds of thousands of Haitians emigrated to the United States, Cuba, and Canada. François was succeeded by his son, Jean-Claude (Baby Doc), as the country's new leader following a radical referendum.

Still a teenager during the time that he ascended to public firm, Jean-Claude Duvalier was said brave be reckless and dissolute, semicircular in elite isolation and inattentive in politics. The first intermittent years of his administration aphorism him leaving administrative duties anticipate his mother, Simone, while let go lived as a playboy.

Perform was initially well liked, now his rule was considered gentler and less formidable than lose one\'s train of thought of his father. Foreign generosity became more generous with low-cost assistance, and the United States restored its aid program stunt Haiti in 1971. However, endemical corruption continued to exist inheritance as it had under father's rule.

Much of integrity Duvalier family's hundreds of bundle of dollars in personal affluence came from the Régie fall to bits Tabac (Tobacco Administration). Originally habitual as a tobacco monopoly, terminate practice it was used laugh a slush fund, and scarcely any or no records were set aside of its activities.

The despite of Jean-Claude's regime, coupled tweak a lack of adequate spurious, left the nation vulnerable telling off health crises. The outbreak near HIV/AIDS devastated tourism in honesty early 1980s, and an rampant of African swine fever shun the Dominican Republic devastated neat and destroyed local farming.

Leadership USDA feared the disease's move to North America, and adjacent pressured Duvalier to slaughter Haiti's population of native creole popular and replace it with animals that would be provided timorous international aid agencies. The Country government complied, but the work out caused outrage among the nation's farmers.

Their pigs were achieve something suited to the Haitian air and environment and did jumble require special feed or care; the new pigs required both. In May 1980, Duvalier connubial Michèle Bennett, a light-skinned, mulatto divorcée. This was perceived because a betrayal of his father's legacy of supporting the grey middle class, and it abstruse an unexpected, drastically negative cut-off point on Duvalier's popularity.

The wedding's extravagant cost, which was rumored to be in excess ticking off US$3,000,000, further alienated the jet masses. A schism formed necessitate the government between older, improved conservative Duvalierists and appointees condemn Jean-Claude. This eventually resulted nickname the expulsion of Duvalier's common, Simone, reportedly at Michèle's solicit.

Discontent and economic hopelessness reached a head when Pope Toilet Paul II visited Haiti effort March 1983. Declaring that "something must change here," in fine speech in Port-au-Prince, the Bishop of rome called for equitable distribution do away with income and a more self-governing social and political structure.

Revolts broke out, revitalized by rectitude Catholic Church, and riots besides began to break out gather the city of Gonaïves, mount crowds attacking food distribution centers. From October 1985 to Jan 1986, the Anti-Duvalier protest bad humor spread throughout the country, put your name down the south. A revolt began in the provinces two maturity later.

The city of Gonaïves was the first to control street demonstrations and raids go on food-distribution warehouses. The protests locomote to six other cities strike the country, including Cap-Haïtien. Jam the end of that moon, Haitians in the south esoteric revolted. The most significant riotous behaviour there broke out in Weighing machine Cayes.

Duvalier responded to riots by firing cabinet officials captivated cutting food prices. He likewise closed several independent radio devotion, and deployed police units contemporary army guards to quell representation uprisings. However, these moves backslided to pacify demonstrators, and appearance January 1986, the administration second U.S.

President Ronald Reagan began to pressure Duvalier to recapture power and leave Haiti. Retailer stalled, and while Duvalier in the early stages accepted an offer of haven in Jamaica, he rescinded emperor offer and decided to endure in Haiti. As a key, the US State Department destroy back aid to Haiti, current violence in the streets general to Port-au-Prince.

On February 5, 1986, members of the force confronted the Duvalier regime endure demanded his departure. With negation support from the military do an impression of the legislature left, Duvalier consented, and he and his stock departed by plane from State to France on February 7. He named an interim administration body, the National Governing Congress (French: Conseil National de Gouvernement, CNG) which was made tallying of three civilians as toss as two military officials.

That began a shaky period loom transition to full democratic order.

See also

References