Per capita income for Haiti's 4.5million people was about $75 a year, compared with the LatinAmerican average of about $400. The Duva lierists set fire to the field and picked off the Barbots and their men as they ran out. [4], Duvalier was born in Port-au-Prince in 1907, the son of Duval Duvalier, a justice of the peace, and baker Ulyssia Abraham. One can only hope that his passing brings to an end the era in which the history of Haiti is compressed and . Then he called a new presidential election in which he was the sole candidate, though his term was to expire in 1963 and the constitution prohibited re-election. In February 1986 Duvalier fled Haiti, with U.S. assistance, for France. During the heart attack, he was comatose for nine hours. After thwarting a military coup d'tat in 1958, his regime rapidly became more autocratic and despotic. [10], Many educated professionals fled Haiti for New York City, Miami, Montreal, Paris and several French-speaking African countries, exacerbating an already serious lack of doctors and teachers. A small donation would help us keep this available to all. 4 William Paley, 'Power shift imperils Haiti's frail stability', The Guardian (London) 13 January 1982. Politically active from an early age, Duvalier wrote articles for the nationalist and anti-American occupation newspaper, Action Nationale under the name Abderrahman. Baby Doc was definitely not an improvement on his dad. 17. Around 2,500. Request Permissions. The United States and United Nations began forming a new Haitian police force, but the bulk of U.S. forces were soon withdrawn. [10] Upon hearing the results, he proclaimed, "I accept the people's will. Duvalier further sought to solidify his rule by incorporating elements of Haitian mythology into a personality cult. Franois Duvalier, known as Papa Doc, . This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. Physician Francois popularly known as "Papa Doc" Duvalier was said to have came into power on On September 25, 1956.. [21] Although the army and its leaders had quashed the coup attempt, the incident deepened Duvalier's distrust of the army, an important Haitian institution over which he did not have firm control. [10][29] Duvalier attempted to exploit tensions between the U.S. and Cuba, emphasizing his anti-communist credentials and Haiti's strategic location as a means of winning U.S. support: Communism has established centres of infection No area in the world is as vital to American security as the Caribbean We need a massive injection of money to reset the country on its feet, and this injection can come only from our great, capable friend and neighbor the United States. Duvalier enraged Castro by voting against the country in an Organization of American States(OAS) meeting and subsequently at the United Nations, where a trade embargo was imposed on Cuba. And with in a year, according to the later claim by Mr. Barbot, more than 300 persons had been killed by the Tontons on Du valier's personal orders. Blucher Philogenes, who had bragged he was immune to death. Of the three major candidates in the 1957 election campaign, Duvalier was the most enig matic. There was a personality cult on the president and he tried to intensify it by surrounding his figure with elements of Haitian mithology. .. Fearful of the army, Duvalier indulged in frequent shakeups of the top command, retiring prematurely any officers he felt might lead a coup against him. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. [27]:1011, Haitian communists and even suspected communists bore the brunt of the government's repression. (thi Nicknamed "Baby Doc," Jean-Claude became the world's youngest president when he . The 61-year-old Desyr, portrayed as a symbol of the evils of the 28-year Duvalier family rule, was . When Duvalier was stricken by a heart attack in 1959, Barbot acted in his stead. Under the durable Duvalier regime, which began in 1957 and lasted longer than any oth er in Haiti's historyof the 36 Presidents who preceded Papa Doc, 23 were either killed or overthrown bloodshed and violence became a way of life. In 1964, Duvaliers supporters drafted a new constitution that declared him president-for-life. Malnutrition and famine became endemic.[12]. The journal comprises scholarly articles, essays, criticism, creative writing, and book reviews. The Constitution, written by the President himself, had called for election of a uni cameral legislature in 1961. This site is using cookies under cookie policy . Former Haitian dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier, known as Baby Doc. Haiti entered a new era in 1957, when Dr. Franois Duvalier, "Papa Doc," became President following a campaign in which he sought to rally the country's noiriste . Duvaliers government additionally confiscated peasant land holdings and siphoned about $500 million of taxes and foreign aid. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. an extreme political ideology. The U.S. thus halted most of its economic assistance in mid-1962, pending stricter accounting procedures, with which Duvalier refused to comply. Duvalier ordered his Presidential Guard to occupy the Dominican Embassy in Ption-Ville, with the goal of arresting a Haitian army officer believed to have been involved in Barbot's plot to kidnap Duvalier's children. [20]:101, After Fulgencio Batista (a friend of Duvalier)[20]:92 was overthrown in the Cuban Revolution, Duvalier worried that new Cuban leader Fidel Castro would provide a safe haven for Haitian dissidents. 1964 - Duvalier declares himself president for life. Nov 12, 2020. Language, Culture and Power: Haiti under the Duvaliers * by R. ANTHONY LEWIS, Introduction The 1957 election of Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier as president of Haiti saw the emergence of a political machinery which attempted, with varying degrees of success, to exert greater influence over Haitian cultural-but specifically com-munication-practices. Corruptionin the form of government rake-offs of industries, bribery, extortion of domestic businesses, and stolen government fundsenriched the dictator's closest supporters. [27]:5051 He transferred this money to personal accounts. By 1954 he had become the central opposition figure and went underground. On Duvaliers death, power was transferred to his son, Jean-Claude (Baby Doc). Haitians fleeing the island 2. an expansion of civil rights 3. a strengthening of ties with the United States 4. the signing of a peace treaty with Cuba . Duvalier burned a three mile swath along the border, creating a noman'sland to prevent Haitians from escaping to the Dominican Republic and Haitian exiles from launching invasions from Dominican soil. Mrs. Yvonne Rimpel, director of the antiDuvalier fortnightly L'Escale, was beaten uncon scious before her children and taken by a dozen Tontons to the outskirts of PortauPrince, where they tortured and raped her and left her dying. All Rights Reserved. Complete the following sentence: Reacting to the supersti tious belief of many peasants that the shadowy Barbot could change himself into a black dog, Duvalier, it was said, or dered all black dogs shot. "You can think of a constitution as In 1934, he attended medical school at the University of Haiti and subsequently worked at various hospitals and clinics around the city. Duvalier publicly renounced all aid from Washington on nationalist grounds, portraying himself as a "principled and lonely opponent of domination by a great power". Aristide dismantled the Haitian militaryan act that would have been impossible without the presence of the U.S. militaryand, under pressure from the United States and other nations, pressed for free-market reforms. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. In 1949, he served as Minister of Health and Labor, but when Duvalier opposed Paul Magloire's 1950 coup d'tat, he left the government and resumed practicing medicine. The 35-year-old son of "Baby Doc" and grandson of "Papa Doc" Duvalier, together responsible for nearly . While he built up his follow ing in the rugged mountains of Haiti, Duvalier is said to have consolidated his support among regional voodoo houngans. In 1944 he published a book, Gradual Evolution of Voodoo.. He was appointed underminister of labour in 1948 and the following year became minister of public health and labour, a post that he retained until May 10, 1950, when President Estim was overthrown by a military junta under Paul E. Magloire, who was subsequently elected president. [6]:85[17] The New York Times commented, "Latin America has witnessed many fraudulent elections throughout its history but none has been more outrageous than the one which has just taken place in Haiti". The United States, which counted on him strongly as an antiCommunist ally, flew in teams of specialists from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and from Washington to treat him. Valbrun, who has spent time with Duvalier, wrote that "Baby Doc" embezzled at least $500 million from Haiti during his rule, citing Haitian government officials and lawyers, and American officials. Franois Duvalier, or "Papa Doc" as he was known, came to power as the result of having "won" an election on September 22, 1957; 4 he was installed as President on October 22, 1957 and remained in power until his death in April 1971. Aristide returned the following month, whereas Cdras and other coup leaders went into exile. Submitted by Reddebrek on January 16, 2017. Despite his earlier opposition to U.S. control of Haiti, Duvalier later participated in the U.S. sponsored campaigns against malaria and yaws in the 1940s. . Afterwards, he consolidated his power step by step, culminating in 1964 when he declared himself President for Life after another sham election, and as a result, he remained in power until his death in April 1971. To avoid the threat of a military coup, Papa Doc, as he came to be called, reorganized the armed forces and created a secret police, the Milice Volontaires de la Scurit Nationale, or the Tontons Macoutes. Politically active from an early age, Duvalier wrote . [12] The most celebrated image from the time shows a standing Jesus Christ with a hand on the shoulder of a seated Papa Doc, captioned, "I have chosen him". 20072023 Blackpast.org. He also revived the traditions of Vodou, later using them to consolidate his power with his claim of being a Vodou priest himself. The initial reaction in Port-au-Prince was panic. A virtual poster child for Caribbean dictators, Papa Doc ruled Haiti with an iron fist from 1957 to 1971. Corruption, imprisonment and repression remained staples in Haiti's government during Baby Doc's fifteen-year rule. Today, the Octavia E. Butler Collection is one of the most researched archives at the library. Kennedy had more Duvalier's son, Bb Doc Duvalier, takes over and is also a dictator. Haitians fleeing the island 2. an expansion of civil rights 3. a strengthening of ties with the United States 4. the signing of a peace treaty with Cuba After Duva lier's recovery, he turned on Mr. Barbot, suspecting his old Mend and aide of plotting to supplant him, and threw him in jail, where he languished for 16 months. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Hong Kong. Kennedys brother and campaign manager persuaded the judge to release Martin Luther King, Jr. on bail. It was then that Papa Doc, whose condition was aggravated by diabetes, decided he wished to be succeeded by his only son, JeanClaude, a hulking 19year old playboy. Opponents, however, saw little change in the regimes basic nature. Franois Duvalier was born on April 14, 1907, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti to Duval Duvalier and Ulyssia Abraham. Duvalierville, despite the fact millions of dollars were spent on it, was never completed. . His son Jean-Claude Duvalier became the next President. 1957 - Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier takes power with military backing, ushering in a period which sees widespread human rights abuses. (Choice B) California, Although diplomatically almost completely isolated, excommunicated by the Vatican until 1966 for harassing the clergy, and threatened by conspiracies against him, Duvalier was able to stay in power longer than any of his predecessors. By the mid-1980s the ranks of the Tontons Macoutes had swelled to some 15,000 men, but they failed to silence a series of countrywide demonstrations against high unemployment, poor living conditions, and the lack of political freedom. Before his death in 1971, he designated his son, Jean-Claude, aged 19 and nicknamed Baby Doc by the foreign media, to succeed him as president for life. His rivals in the election fled the country, but Tonton execu tioners, furious that one of the losing candidates, Clement Jumelle, had escaped, tracked down two of his brothers and gunned them down as they sur rendered, hands up. A result of Papa Doc Duvalier's rule in Haiti was 1. The Tontons, sunglasswear ing thugs whose fanatical loyal ty to Duvalier was rewarded with virtual licenses to torture and kill, murdered thousands of their fellow Haitians. Franois Duvalier (French pronunciation:[fswa dyvalje]; 14 April 1907 21 April 1971), also known as Papa Doc, was a Haitian politician of French Martiniquan descent who served as the President of Haiti from 1957 until his death. Even Duvalier's strongwilled favorite daughter, MarieDenise, fell victim to his wrath when she insisted on marrying Lieut. 1964 - Duvalier declares himself president-for-life. In other incidents, Duvalier ordered the head of an executed rebel packed in ice and brought to him so he could commune with the dead man's spirit. Former Haitian dictator Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier arrives at the Caribe Hotel in Port-au-Prince after his surprise return to Haiti on Sunday, Jan. 16, 2011, in the midst of a political . This site is using cookies under cookie policy . [20]:139 During the visit, the two discussed bilateral agreements between their two nations and the economic shortcomings brought about by international pressure. TRIGGER WARNING: EXECUTION. The most recent dictatorship began in 1957 when Francois (Papa Doc) Duvalier, Jean-Claude's father, emerged as president after a political struggle so chaotic that six governments had held power . How did the Soviet forces respond to Operation Barbarossa? [45] Made by Yorkshire Television, the documentary is deeply revealing of Duvalier's character and of the state of Haiti in 1969. The Haitian police were thrust into their duties with inadequate preparation and were soon criticized for high incidences of corruption and unwarranted violence. The journal promoted Ngritude (a form of black nationalism) and championed the black minority against the Europeanized mixed-race elite. Voodoo Spirits. Gen. Raoul Cdras deposed him and began to repress political opposition. Because his party was the only one allowed to participate, Papa Doc's name appeared on all the ballots and Duvalier claimed reelectiontwo years in advanceby the huge mar gin of 13 million votes. And to further assure his as sumed benignity, Duvalier had his rubberstamp legislature pro claim him Incorruptible Leader of the Great Majority of the Haitian People, Renovator of the Republic, Chief of the Revo lution and Spiritual Father of the Nation. Other attempts to overthrow Duvalier were equally unsuccessful. Mr Duvalier was allowed to go free after . Due to his profession and expertise in the medical field, he acquired the nickname "Papa Doc". After studying at the Lyce National, he en rolled in the University of Haiti School of Medicine, from which he was graduated in 1934. Duvalier inherited power from his father, Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier, aged just 19 in 1971, but fled into exile in 1986 during a popular uprising which ended 28 years of rule by the father . When a bloodless coup in 1950 elevated Colonel Paul Magloire to the Presidency, Duvalier went into hiding. For 14 years he had held the wretchedly poor black republic of Haiti in a spell of fear. (Papa Doc) Duvalier held power from 1957 until he died in 1971 . The Tonton Macoute captured and killed Barbot in July 1963. He amassed a significant fortune through embezzlement, extortion, and drug trafficking. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. [11] He was also aware of the latent political power of the poor black majority and their resentment against the small mulatto (black and white mixed-race) elite. [20]:93. When Jean-Claude Duvalier touched down in Port-au-Prince in January, after nearly 25 years in exile, the former dictator said he had come to help. It is an outlet for the publication of results of research into, and considered views on, matters Caribbean. This coincided with reports that AIDS was becoming a major problem in Haiti. Papa Doc Dr. Francois Duvalier was known for his time as President of Haiti for being a ruthless, unhealthy man who would lie to his people and rule them harshly. [36], Franois Duvalier died of heart disease and diabetes on 21 April 1971, seven days after his 64th birthday. Born on April 14, 1907 in the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince, Franois Duvalier was the son of Duval Duvalier and Uritia Abraham. [6]:85 On 14 June 1964, a constitutional referendum made Duvalier "President for Life", a title previously held by seven Haitian presidents. October 11, 2014. As of March 2023, Haiti had no sitting elected officials. Nonetheless, Duvalier enjoyed significant support among Haiti's majority black rural population, who saw in him a champion of their claims against the historically dominant mulatto elite. in the United States. Quiz, Match the Country with Its Hemisphere Quiz. Around 300. He came into power via military coup d'tat and was then made the president. The Dominican government agreed to compensate the slain workers relatives the following year, but only part of the promised amount was actually paid. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? In the 1960s, Duvalier proved to be resistant to both domestic and foreign challenges. [34] In 1964, he published a catechism in which the Lord's Prayer was heavily reworded to praise Duvalier instead of God. , items, including Butlers private notes, research materials, manuscripts, photos, and drawings. In 1950, after Estim had attempted to extend his term, the military took control. Franois "Papa Doc" Duvalier, the father of Jean-Claude Duvalier, ruled Haiti from 1957 to 1971. How did the rule of Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier impact Haiti? From that point many professionals fled the country, resulting in the collapse of the educational and health care systems. 1241 a. The Power of the Executive under the Duvalier Constitutions 14. Duvalier fostered his cult of personality and claimed that he was the physical embodiment of the island nation. Violence continued, however, and there was an unsuccessful attempt to overthrow Duvalier in July 1958. [18] Duvalier received 679,884 votes to Djoie's 266,992. A result of papa doc Duvalier's rule in Haiti was Haitians fleeing the island.. What was "Papa Doc" Duvalier rule about? AFP - Haitian prosecutors on Tuesday slapped a slew of corruption charges on Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier, less than 48 hours after the former dictator's unexpected return to his . He came into power via military coup d'tat and was then made the president. Thy will be done at PortauPrince and in the provinces. (Choice C) California: For much of the 20 th century, Haiti was under the control of the Duvalier family, headed by Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier until from 1954 to 1971, the country was controlled with an iron fist. Duvalier's first term was not due to expire until 1963, but in 1961 he had his Attorney Gen eral declare him elected to second term; to end in 1967. Explain who may be included within a family of origin. , iod) and the opinions held about immigration? A prevailing rumor in the capital, according to The New York Times, was that his son had removed his remains upon fleeing to the United States in an Air Force transport plane the day before. Omissions? Duvalier was just 19 when in 1971 he inherited the . Elections in 1995 brought about the first peaceful transfer of power between elected presidents in Haitis history when Ren Prval, an associate of Aristide, was chosen to succeed him. California, 2. Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier, the son of the infamously corrupt and authoritarian Haitian president Franois "Papa Doc" Duvalier, was president of Haiti from 1971 to 1986. [citation needed], The government confiscated peasant landholdings and allotted them to members of the militia,[12] who had no official salary and made their living through crime and extortion. California [8] His aunt, Madame Florestal, raised him. And in another seeming para dox, Duvalier had the all important support of the army, whose generals considered him a feckless puppet. In the name of nationalism, Duvalier expelled almost all of Haiti's foreign-born bishops, an act that earned him excommunication from the Catholic Church. He was president of Haiti from September 1957 to his death in April 1971. [20]:139, Duvalier's government was one of the most repressive in the Western Hemisphere. 2382 Words10 Pages. Duvalier begins to violently attack his opponents, driving many of them into exile, and eventually the National Assembly voted to accept the Duvalier's Constitution which establishing Duvalier as President for Life of Haiti. [24] Duvalier now exercised more power in Haiti than ever. Military regimes and the Duvaliers. Haiti under Francois Duvalier Haitian migration is not a new phenomenon. On Dec. 16, 1990, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, a leftist Roman Catholic priest, won the presidency by a landslide in what were widely reported to be the first free elections in Haitis history. In October 1937 troops and police from the Dominican Republic massacred thousands of Haitian labourers living near the border. Duvalier also resisted foreign criticism. He promoted black nationalism and was elected in 1957, and in 1958 he conducted an overthrow (coup d'tat) that transformed the nation into a totalitarian state. As revolutionary, he said gravely, I have no right to disregard the voice of the people.. Dr. Franois Duvalier, also known as Papa Doc, was the president of Haiti from 1957 to 1971. Three military officers seized power, and under their supervision Dumarsais Estim was elected president. BlackPast.org is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and our EIN is 26-1625373. Haitian President. He's also controlling his parents - her son and daughter-in-law - making them his new Tonton Macoute. rights abuses during his 15-year rule. Gen. Henri Namphy took charge, promising free elections and democratic reforms. The election was flagrantly rigged; the official tally showed a total of 1,320,748 "yes" votes for another term for Duvalier, with none opposed. See the article in its original context from. Duvalier's response was to bait the United States in his speeches as anti Negro. After the resignation of Magloire in December 1956, Duvaliers followers participated in most of the six governments that were formed in the succeeding 10 months. At least six persons, were killed within 24 hours, executed summarily by Tontons merely on suspicion of being anti Duvalierist. Bosch, a leftist, provided asylum and support to Haitian exiles who had plotted against the Duvalier regime. By 1970, MarieDenise was back in her father's good graces. [22], In the early years of his rule, Duvalier was able to take advantage of the strategic weaknesses of his powerful opponents, mostly from the mulatto elite. Updates? political experience than Nixon and understood Soviet and Chinese issues. He was to continue to hold it in superstitious reverence. But, he never paid the fare back to . Knox lost and was sentenced to death, but he was later granted amnesty.[50]. [31] Within the country he murdered and exiled his opponents; estimates of those killed are as high as 60,000. [46], The first authoritative book on the subject was Papa Doc: Haiti and its Dictator by Al Burt and Bernard Diederich, published in 1969,[47] though several others by Haitian scholars and historians have appeared since Duvalier's death in 1971. At 64, weakened by heart attacks and chronic diabetes. Duvalier remained under con stant guard, depending for his power on a 600man palace guard, the 350 soldiers of the Dessalines Barracks adjacent to the gleaming white palace, 5,000 militiamen, and perhaps most importantly, the dreaded Tontons Macoutes (Haitain Creole for bogeymen). . D In 1946 Duvalier seved as Director General of the national Public Health Service and later became director of the anti yaws campaign. He was born in poverty in PortauPrince on April 14, 1907. [34][35], Duvalier also held in his closet the head of former opponent Blucher Philogenes, who tried to overthrow him in 1963. Thirteen young Haitian expatriates had alit from sea, Granma-like, early that August of 1964 . Since the late nineteenth century, Haitians have been working as migrant labor in agriculture throughout the Caribbean. Estimates are that over 300,000 people were killed and some 1.5 million left homeless. Those convicted of Communist activity were subject to execution, and faced having their property confiscated. After this, Duvalier dismissed the entire general staff and replaced it with officers who owed their positions, and their loyalty, to him. "Papa Doc" redirects here. After reading the whole list, Duvalier remarked that "all were shot". He graduated from the Graduate School of Public Health at the University of Michigan on a scholarship that was meant to train Black doctors from the Caribbean to take care of African-American servicemen during World War II. B. In 1946 Haitian workers and students held strikes and violent demonstrations in opposition to the president, lie Lescot, who had succeeded Vincent in 1941. His son, Jean-Claude Duvalier, succeeded him. By Max A. Joseph. She was in Portau Prince when he suffered another heart attack in November, 1970. Jean-Claude Duvalier, Haiti's former president, known to one and all as "Baby Doc," died of a heart attack last week in Port-au-Prince, aged only 63. And conquer he did, with an overwhelming majority, in the election of Sept. 22, 1957. Franois Duvalier was a promoter of black nationalism and an overthrow was conducted by him which resulted in transformation of the nation into a totalitarian state. Duvalier attempted to win Cuba over by recognizing Castro's government by sending medicine and pardoning several political prisoners, but to no avail; from the very start of his regime, Castro gave anti-Duvalier dissidents his full support. The country has long been plagued by natural disasters. Late in 1963 Duvalier moved further toward an absolutist regime, promoting a cult of his person as the semidivine embodiment of Haiti. During their campaigning, Haiti was ruled by five temporary administrations, none lasting longer than a few months. To finance it, he levied heavy taxes on such vital foods as sugar, rice and edible oils, forced Government work ers to have part of their salaries docked to buy Government bonds and lottery tickets, and instructed the Tontons to shake down foreign businessmen for contributions..

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