Jean-Claude Duvalier

Jean-Claude Duvalier
Duvalier in 2011
35th President of Haiti
In office
22 April 1971 – 7 February 1986
Preceded byFrançois Duvalier
Succeeded byHenri Namphy
Personal details
Born(1951-07-03)3 July 1951[1]
Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Died4 October 2014(2014-10-04) (aged 63)
Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Political partyPUN
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1980; div. 1990)​
ChildrenAnya Duvalier, Nicolas Duvalier
Parents
Alma materUniversity of Haiti
NicknameBaby Doc
This article is part of a series about
Jean-Claude Duvalier

President of Haiti

1971-1986

Government

Family

Jean-Claude Duvalier (French: [ʒɑ̃klod dyvalje]; 3 July 1951 – 4 October 2014), nicknamed "Baby Doc" (French: Bébé Doc, Haitian Creole: Bebe Dòk), was a Haitian politician who was the President of Haiti from 1971 until he was overthrown by a popular uprising in February 1986. He succeeded his father François "Papa Doc" Duvalier as the ruler of Haiti after his death in 1971. After assuming power, he introduced cosmetic changes to his father's regime and delegated much authority to his advisors. Thousands of Haitians were tortured and killed, and hundreds of thousands fled the country during his presidency.[2] He maintained a notoriously lavish lifestyle (including a state-sponsored US$2 million wedding in 1980) while poverty among his people remained the most widespread of any country in the Western Hemisphere.[3]

Relations with the United States improved after Duvalier's ascension to the presidency, and later deteriorated under the Carter administration, only to normalize under Ronald Reagan due to the strong anti-communist stance of the Duvaliers.[4] Rebellion against the Duvalier regime broke out in 1985, and Duvalier fled to France in 1986 on a U.S. Air Force flight.

Duvalier unexpectedly returned to Haiti on 16 January 2011, after two decades in self-imposed exile in France. The following day, he was arrested by Haitian police, facing possible charges for embezzlement.[3] On 18 January, Duvalier was charged with corruption.[5][6] On 28 February 2013, Duvalier pleaded not guilty to charges of corruption and human rights abuse.[7] He died of a heart attack on 4 October 2014, at the age of 63.

Transparency International determined that the money embezzled by Duvalier was the sixth most embezzled by a sitting head of government between 1984 and 2004.[8]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Guardian2014 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cook, Lonzo; Segal, Kim; Zarrella, John; et al. (19 January 2011). "Charges filed against 'Baby Doc' Duvalier in Haiti". CNN. Archived from the original on 19 January 2011.
  3. ^ a b "'Firm as a Monkey Tail': Jean‑Claude 'Baby Doc' Duvalier". Life. Archived from the original on 27 June 2009.
  4. ^ Abbott, Elizabeth (2011). Haiti: A Shattered Nation. Rev. and updated from Haiti: The Duvaliers and Their Legacy (1988). New York: The Overlook Press. ISBN 978-1-59020-989-9. LCCN 2013496344. OCLC 859201061. OL 25772018M.
  5. ^ Carroll, Rory (18 January 2011). "'Baby Doc' Duvalier charged with corruption in Haiti". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 January 2011.
  6. ^ "Revealing the Ultimate 2020 List: The 10 Most Corrupt Politicians in the World - The Sina Times". 3 January 2020. Archived from the original on 3 January 2024. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  7. ^ Valme, Jean (28 February 2013). "Ex‑Haiti dictator 'Baby Doc' Duvalier faces corruption charges for first time since revolt". NBC News. Reuters. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015.
  8. ^ Transparency International. (2004). Global Corruption Report 2004. Pluto Press.