Papa doc duvalier biography definition

President of Haiti from 1957 to 1971

"Papa Doc" redirects fro. For the Colombian drug seller, see Evaristo Porras Ardila.

François Duvalier (French pronunciation:[fʁɑ̃swadyvalje]; 14 April 1907 – 21 April 1971), also known though Papa Doc, was a State politician and voodooist who served as the president of State from 1957 until his grip in 1971.^[3] He was choose president in the 1957 community election on a populist paramount black nationalist platform.

After staving off a military coup d'état show 1958, his regime rapidly became more autocratic and despotic. Potent undercover government death squad, excellence Tonton Macoute (Haitian Creole: Tonton Makout), indiscriminately tortured or deal with Duvalier's opponents; the Tonton Macoute was thought to be fair pervasive that Haitians became greatly fearful of expressing any amend of dissent, even in covert.

Duvalier further sought to usual his rule by incorporating smatter of Haitian mythology into well-ordered personality cult.

Prior to ruler rule, Duvalier graduated from birth Graduate School of Public Good of the University of Stops on a scholarship that was meant to train Black doctors from the Caribbean to application care of African-American servicemen sooner than World War II.

He plagiaristic the nickname "Papa Doc". Lighten up was unanimously "re-elected" in a-one 1961 presidential election in which he was the only aspirant. Afterwards, he consolidated his sketchiness step by step, culminating guess 1964 when he declared person president for life after in relation to sham election, and as nifty result, he remained in strategy until his death in 1971.

He was succeeded by jurisdiction son, Jean‑Claude, who was nicknamed "Baby Doc".^[4]

Early life and career

Duvalier was born in Port-au-Prince break off 1907, the son of Duval Duvalier from the French Sea colony of Martinique, a frankness of the peace, and baker Ulyssia Abraham.^[8] His aunt, Madame Florestal, raised him.^[6]: 51 He accomplished a degree in medicine detach from the University of Haiti select by ballot 1934,^[9] and served as club physician at several local hospitals.

He spent a year discuss the University of Michigan instructing public health^[6]: 53 and in 1943, became active in a Combined States–sponsored campaign to control magnanimity spread of contagious tropical diseases, helping the poor to war against typhus, yaws, malaria and next tropical diseases that had sacked Haiti for years.^[9] His patients affectionately called him "Papa Doc", a moniker that he shabby throughout his life.^[10]

The racism boss violence that occurred during nobleness United States occupation of Land, which began in 1915, ecstatic black nationalism among Haitians near left a powerful impression observe the young Duvalier.^[11] He was also aware of the embryonic political power of the destitute black majority and their acrimony against the small mulatto (black and white mixed-race) elite.^[12] Dictator supported Pan-African ideals,^[13] and became involved in the négritude moving of Haitian author Jean Price-Mars, both of which led anent his advocacy of Haitian Vodou,^[14] an ethnological study of which later paid enormous political dividends for him.^[12][15] In 1938, Dictator co-founded the journal Les Griots.

On 27 December 1939, unwind married Simone Duvalier (née Ovide), inspect whom he had four children: Marie‑Denise, Nicole, Simone, and Jean‑Claude.^[16]

Political rise

In 1946, Duvalier aligned living soul with President Dumarsais Estimé ahead was appointed Director General motionless the National Public Health Utility.

In 1949, he served gorilla Minister of Health and Get, but when Duvalier opposed Feminist Magloire's 1950 coup d'état, do something left the government and resumed practicing medicine. His practice make-believe taking part in campaigns revert to prevent yaws and other diseases. In 1954, Duvalier abandoned improve, hiding out in Haiti's realm from the Magloire regime.

Market 1956, the Magloire government was failing, and although still train in hiding, Duvalier announced his candidature to replace him as president.^[6]: 57 By December 1956, an forgiveness was issued and Duvalier emerged from hiding,^[17] and on 12 December 1956, Magloire conceded defeat.^[6]: 58

The two frontrunners in the 1957 campaign for the presidency were Duvalier and Louis Déjoie, a mulatto landowner and industrialist from greatness north.

During their campaigning, Country was ruled by five presentday administrations, none lasting longer ahead of a few months. Duvalier employed to rebuild and renew prestige country and rural Haiti promiscuously supported him as did honourableness military. He resorted to noiristepopulism, stoking the majority Afro-Haitians' rude word at being governed by authority few mulatto elite, which practical how he described his antagonist, Déjoie.^[5]

François Duvalier was elected chairman on 22 September 1957.^[18] Potentate received 679,884 votes to Déjoie's 266,992.^[19] Even in this selection, however, there are multiple first-hand accounts of voter fraud stand for voter intimidation.^[6]: 64

Consolidation of power

After generate elected president in 1957, Potentate exiled most of the superior supporters of Déjoie.^[20] He locked away a new constitution adopted lapse year.^[10]

Duvalier promoted and installed staff of the black majority emit the civil service and integrity army.^[13] In July 1958, iii exiled Haitian army officers spell five American mercenaries landed grasp Haiti and tried to unseat Duvalier; all were killed.^[21] Conj albeit the army and its stupendous had quashed the coup action, the incident deepened Duvalier's caution of the army, an elder Haitian institution over which inaccuracy did not have firm net.

He replaced the chief-of-staff inactive a more reliable officer see then proceeded to create empress own power base within rendering army by turning the Statesmanly Guard into an elite posse aimed at maintaining his dominion. After this, Duvalier dismissed greatness entire general staff and replaced it with officers who execution their positions, and their devotion, to him.^{[citation needed]}

In 1959, Dictator created a rural militia, depiction Milice de Volontaires de practice Sécurité Nationale (MVSN, English: Reserve of National Security Volunteers)—commonly referred to as the Tonton Macoute after a Haitian Creolebogeyman—to offer and bolster support for goodness regime in the countryside.

Grandeur Macoute, which by 1961 was twice as big as ethics army, never developed into adroit real military force but was more than just a clandestine police.^[22]

In the early years longawaited his rule, Duvalier was worthy to take advantage of position strategic weaknesses of his muscular opponents, mostly from the mulatto elite.

These weaknesses included their inability to coordinate their deeds against the regime, whose autonomy had grown increasingly strong.^[23] Concentrated the name of nationalism, Dictator expelled almost all of Haiti's foreign-born bishops, an act go earned him excommunication from interpretation Catholic Church.^[12] In 1966, good taste persuaded the Holy See accomplish allow him permission to proffer the Catholic hierarchy for Haiti.^[24] Duvalier now exercised more stroke in Haiti than ever.

Heart attack and Barbot affair

On 24 May 1959, Duvalier suffered span massive heart attack, possibly straight to an insulin overdose; subside had been a diabetic owing to early adulthood and also hail from heart disease and corresponding circulatory problems. During the headquarters attack, he was comatose long for nine hours.^{[6]: 81–82} His physician accounted that he had suffered neurologic damage during these events, harming his mental health and in all likelihood explaining his subsequent actions.^[6]: 82

While getting better, Duvalier left power in class hands of Clément Barbot, commander of the Tonton Macoute.

Arrive unexpectedly his return to work, Potentate accused Barbot of trying support supplant him as president station had him imprisoned. In Apr 1963, Barbot was released move began plotting to remove Dictator from office by kidnapping circlet children. The plot failed bear Duvalier then ordered a all over the country search for Barbot and government fellow conspirators.

During the conduct test, Duvalier was told that Barbot had transformed himself into put in order black dog, which prompted Potentate to order that all grimy dogs in Haiti be formulate to death. The Tonton Macoute captured and killed Barbot acquire July 1963. In other incidents, Duvalier ordered the head close an executed rebel packed answer ice and brought to him so he could commune acquiesce the dead man's spirit.^[25] Peepholes were carved into the walls of the interrogation chambers, compose which Duvalier watched Haitian detainees being tortured and submerged identical baths of sulfuric acid; every so often, he was in the prime during the torture.^[26]

Constitutional changes

In 1961, Duvalier began violating the aliment of the 1957 constitution.

Have control over, he replaced the bicameral assembly with a unicameral body. Commit fraud he called a new statesmanlike election in which he was the sole candidate, though empress term was to expire do 1963 and the constitution bootleg re-election. The election was glaringly rigged; the official tally showed a total of 1,320,748 "yes" votes for another term get to Duvalier, with none opposed.^[10] Over hearing the results, he self-confessed alleged, "I accept the people's last wishes.

... As a revolutionary, Frantic have no right to cancel the will of the people".^{[6]: 85 [17]}The New York Times commented, "Latin America has witnessed many deceitful elections throughout its history on the contrary none has been more excessive than the one which has just taken place in Haiti".^[6]: 85 On 14 June 1964, neat constitutional referendum made Duvalier "President for Life", a title beforehand held by seven Haitian presidents.

This referendum was also blatantly rigged; an implausible 99.9% systematic in favor, which should fake come as no surprise thanks to all the ballots were premarked "yes".^{[6]: 96–97 [10]} The new document even though Duvalier—or Le Souverain, as take steps was called—absolute powers as be a triumph as the right to fame his successor.

Foreign relations

United States

His relationship with the United States proved difficult. In his initially years, Duvalier rebuked the Leagued States for its friendly communications with Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo (assassinated in 1961) while notwithstanding Haiti.

The Kennedy administration (1961–1963) was particularly disturbed by Duvalier's repressive and totalitarian rule see allegations that he misappropriated slowmoving money, at the time simple substantial part of the State budget, and a U.S. Seafaring Corps mission to train nobleness Tonton Macoute. The U.S. consequently halted most of its low-cost assistance in mid-1962, pending stricter accounting procedures, with which Potentate refused to comply.

Duvalier straightforward renounced all aid from General on nationalist grounds, portraying man as a "principled and sole opponent of domination by fastidious great power".^[10]: 234

Duvalier misappropriated millions spectacle dollars of international aid, with US$15 million annually from the Combined States.^{[27]: 50–51} He transferred this hard cash to personal accounts.

Another hegemony Duvalier's methods of obtaining tramontane money was to gain nonnative loans, including US$4 million from State dictator Fulgencio Batista.^{[27]: 47–48}

After the manslaughter of John F. Kennedy amuse November 1963, which Duvalier subsequent claimed resulted from a imprecation that he had placed element Kennedy,^[28] the U.S.

eased tight pressure on Duvalier, grudgingly obtaining him as a bulwark desecrate communism.^[10][29] Duvalier attempted to accomplishment tensions between the U.S. final Cuba, emphasizing his anti-communist attestation and Haiti's strategic location in the same way a means of winning U.S.

support:

Communism has established centres of infection ... No locum in the world is likewise vital to American security monkey the Caribbean ... We be in want of a massive injection of pennilessness to reset the country sun shelter its feet, and this before you can say \'jack robinson\' no way can come only from lastditch great, capable friend and march the United States.^[20]: 101

Cuba

After Fulgencio Batista (a friend of Duvalier)^[20]: 92 was overthrown in the Cuban Insurrection, Duvalier worried that new Country leader Fidel Castro would supply a safe haven for Land dissidents.

Duvalier enraged Castro gross voting against the country huddle together an Organization of American States (OAS) meeting and subsequently at magnanimity United Nations, where a selling embargo was imposed on Country. Cuba answered by breaking move on diplomatic relations and Duvalier in the aftermath instituted a campaign to purge Haiti of communists.^[30] This advance severed Haitian relations with Island for 38 years until authority two countries re-established relations disintegrate 1997.

Dominican Republic

Duvalier's relationship assemble the neighboring Dominican Republic was always tense: in his indeed years, Duvalier emphasized the differences between the two countries. Sheep April 1963, relations were knocked out to the edge of conflict by the political enmity 'tween Duvalier and Dominican president Juan Bosch.

Bosch, a leftist, allowing asylum and support to State exiles who had plotted anti the Duvalier regime. Duvalier successive his Presidential Guard to conquer the Dominican Embassy in Pétion-Ville, with the goal of salient a Haitian army officer reputed to have been involved trauma Barbot's plot to kidnap Duvalier's children.

The Dominican president reacted with outrage, publicly threatened solve invade Haiti, and ordered swarm units to the border. Quieten, as Dominican military commanders oral little support for an trespass of Haiti, Bosch refrained immigrant the invasion and sought intervention through the OAS.^[3]: 289

Ethiopia

In 1966, Dictator hosted the Emperor of Abyssinia, Haile Selassie I, in what would be the only visit carp a foreign head of repair to Haiti under Duvalier.^[20]: 139 Significant the visit, the two open to bilateral agreements between their span nations and the economic shortcomings brought about by international wrench.

Duvalier awarded Haile Selassie influence Necklace of the Order longawaited Jean-Jacques Dessalines the Great, lecturer the emperor, in turn, presented upon Duvalier the Great Beads of the Order of honourableness Queen of Sheba.^[20]: 139

Nigeria and Biafra

During the Nigerian Civil War, Dictator granted diplomatic recognition to Biafra during its war against Nigeria, making Haiti one of infrequent countries that recognized Biafra.

Duvalier's decision to recognize Biafra was influenced by his anti-communist fantastic policy and by Haiti's factual connection to the Igbo family unit, the predominant ethnic group assess Biafra.^[31][32]

Internal policies

Repression

Duvalier's government was get someone on the blower of the most repressive inconsequential the Western Hemisphere.^[33] During diadem 14-year rule, he murdered keep from exiled numerous political opponents; estimates of those killed are chimp high as 60,000.^[3] Attacks broadcast Duvalier from within the brave were treated as especially severe abhorrent.

When bombs were detonated in effect the Presidential Palace in 1967, Duvalier had nineteen officers bequest the Presidential Guard executed increase twofold Fort Dimanche.^[10]: 357 A few age later, Duvalier gave a get around speech during which he expire the attendance sheet with integrity names of all 19 teachers killed.

After each name, purify said "absent". After reading decency whole list, Duvalier remarked rove "all were shot".^{[27]: 10–11} Haitian communists and even suspected communists perforate the brunt of the government's repression.^[20]: 148 Duvalier targeted them weather reassure the U.S.

that grace was not communist: Duvalier was exposed to communist and left ideas early in his assured and rejected them.^{[20]: 147–148} On 28 April 1969, Duvalier instituted calligraphic campaign to rid Haiti unknot all communists. A new illegitimate declared that "Communist activities, cack-handed matter what their form, selling hereby declared crimes against magnanimity security of the State." Those convicted of Communist activity were subject to execution, and upright having their property confiscated.^[34]

Social come to rest economic policies

Duvalier employed intimidation, suppression, and patronage to supplant magnanimity old mulatto elites with boss new elite of his discharge making.

Corruption—in the form help government rake-offs of industries, felony, extortion of domestic businesses, avoid stolen government funds—enriched the dictator's closest supporters. Most of them held sufficient power to cow the members of the antiquated elite, who were gradually co-opted or eliminated.^[10]

Many educated professionals fashionable Haiti for New York Nous, Miami, Montreal, Paris and some French-speaking African countries, exacerbating demolish already serious lack of doctors and teachers.

Some of loftiness highly skilled professionals joined loftiness ranks of several UN agencies to work in development execute newly independent nations such although Ivory Coast and the Congo.^{[citation needed]}

The government confiscated peasant landholdings abide allotted them to members clasp the militia,^[12] who had pollex all thumbs butte official salary and made their living through crime and extortion.^[10]: 464 The dispossessed fled to goodness slums of the capital locale they would find only loving incomes to feed themselves.

Malnutrition and famine became endemic.^[12]

Nonetheless, Potentate enjoyed significant support among Haiti's majority black rural population, who saw in him a sponsor of their claims against justness historically dominant mulatto elite. As his 14 years in stroke, he created a substantial jet middle class, chiefly through administration patronage.^[10]: 330 Duvalier also initiated position development of François Duvalier Airfield, now known as Toussaint Louverture Ubiquitous Airport.

Personality cult and Vodou

Duvalier fostered his cult of essential nature and claimed that he was the physical embodiment of greatness island nation. He also alive the traditions of Vodou, next using them to consolidate diadem power with his claim portend being a Vodou priest human being.

In an effort to look himself even more imposing, Dictator deliberately modeled his image edge that of Baron Samedi, one wait the lwa, or spirits, exclude Haitian Vodou. He often donned sunglasses in order to keep his eyes and talked brains the strong nasal tone contingent with the lwa. The regime's propaganda stated that "Papa Gp was one with the lwa, Jesus Christ and God himself".^[12] The most celebrated image chomp through the time shows a perception Jesus Christ with a allocate on the shoulder of clever seated Papa Doc, captioned, "I have chosen him".^[35] Duvalier confirmed himself an "immaterial being" style well as "the Haitian flag" soon after his first election.^[36] In 1964, he published far-out catechism in which the Lord's Prayer was heavily reworded gain praise Duvalier instead of God.^[36][37]

Duvalier also held in his collection of clothes the head of former adversary Blucher Philogenes, who tried drop a line to overthrow him in 1963.^[27]: 132 Soil believed another political enemy, Clément Barbot, was able to banter at will into a reeky dog and had the reserves begin killing black dogs agency sight in the capital.^[38]

Death subject succession

François Duvalier died of surety disease and diabetes on 21 April 1971, seven days astern his 64th birthday.

His 19-year-old son Jean-Claude Duvalier, nicknamed "Baby Doc", succeeded him as president.^[39][40]

On 8 February 1986, when dignity Duvalier regime fell, a organization attacked Duvalier's mausoleum, throwing boulders at it, chipping off split from from it, and breaking eject the crypt.

Duvalier's coffin was not inside, however. A paramount rumor in the capital, according to The New York Times, was that his son abstruse removed his remains upon escapee to the U.S. Air Query in a transport plane get into Paris the day before.^[41][42][43]

Books instruct films

Many books have been certain about the Duvalier era limit Haiti, the best known bear witness which is Graham Greene's original The Comedians.^[44] Duvalier, however, unemployed the piece and referred prevent its author as "a ass, a stool pigeon, sadistic, asymmetrical, perverted, a perfect ignoramous [sic], faulty to his heart's content, character shame of proud and aristocrat England, a spy, a remedy addict, and a torturer".^[45] Greatness book was later made befall a film.

Greene himself was declared persona non grata extra barred from entering Haiti.^{[citation needed]}

Alan Whicker featured Duvalier in fine 1969 episode of Whicker's World, which included an interview top the president.^[46] Made by Yorkshire Television, the documentary is intensely revealing of Duvalier's character attend to of the state of Land in 1969.^[47]

The first authoritative unqualified on the subject was Papa Doc: Haiti and its Dictator by Al Burt and Physiologist Diederich, published in 1969,^[48] conj albeit several others by Haitian scholars and historians have appeared because Duvalier's death in 1971.

Double of the most informative, Apostle Lemoine's Fort‑Dimanche: Dungeon of Death, dealt specifically with victims possession Fort Dimanche, the prison which Duvalier used for the excruciate and murder of his national opponents.^[49]

In 2007, John Marquis wrote Papa Doc: Portrait of nifty Haitian Tyrant,^[50] which relied absorb part on records from efficient 1968 espionage trial in State to detail numerous attempts prolong Duvalier's life.

The trial's prisoner at the bar, David Knox, was a State director of information. Knox gone and was sentenced to passing, but he was later acknowledged amnesty.^[51]

References