Haiti is a Caribbean Island with a population of just over 10 million. During its 200 year history, it has suffered under the yolk of colonialism and dictatorship, whilst engaging in revolution and rebellion. At present, it is ruled by a democratically elected government, yet poverty and deprivation is all too clear a sight throughout the country.
After the Haitian Earthquake which struck on January 12th 2010, some have labeled Haiti as one of the unluckiest places in the world, due to the constant turmoil that seemingly engulfs the nation. Former U.S. presidential candidate and evangelist, Pat Robertson, recently stated that the nation's luck has to do with a pact made by Haitian's with the devil during French colonial rule.
U.S. Involvement in Haiti
This controversial comment ignores the U.S. involvement in Haiti which during the Haitian Revolution between, 1791-1803, was interchangeable between the ruling French and the revolting slaves led by François-Dominique Toussaint Louverture.
Haiti achieved it's independence in 1803 and established the first Black Republic which acted as a template for future self governance of former slaves.
Between 1915 and 1934 the United States occupied Haiti by massacring 3250 natives. Although the U.S. occupation brought some prosperity to Haiti, it left the country with a 'doomed' financial structure. A $40 million loan imposed by the U.S. meant that much of the nations wealth went to offshore creditors instead of reinvesting in the country's economy.
The Rule of Papa Doc Duvalier
In 1957, Duvalier, better known as François 'Papa Doc' Duvalier, was elected as President in Haiti and ruled until his death in 1971. As a young child, Duvalier had to suffer the humiliation of his mother being declared insane and incarcerated in a mental asylum in the Port au Prince.
The stigma and shame felt by the young Duvalier implanted in him a deep resentment of mulattos (people of mixed black and white ancestry who formed the old elite of Haiti), the Catholic Church and foreigners in general which he outlined in an ideological tract.
Negritude
Duvalier's project rested on the concept of negritude. This was a movement that had been started in the 1930's by a group of black Haitian and American intellectuals who preached that their common black identity should lead them to reassert their racial pride and reject white dominance.
The movement had originated in Haiti as a reaction against the materialism and crude racism demonstrated during American occupation of the country during the 1920's.
Tonton Macoutes
Duvalier had studied closely the careers of despots like Hitler and Stalin and in the same fashion established his own secret police the, 'Tonton Macoutes', (The name derived from the old Creole language for 'bogeyman', and was traditionally used to scare disobedient children).
This group comprised of the misfits and criminals of Haitian society. They were each given a gun and some money and ordered to target the poorest sections of society who dared vote against Duvalier.
Papa Doc's Personality Cult
At the same time, Duvalier created a personality cult by surrounding himself with the mystical aura of voodoo. Images showed the President dressed in a white top hat and tuxedo and wearing sunglasses. This was a costume that was traditionally worn by the voodoo God, Baron Samedi, who in Haitian culture stands at the crossroads on the pathway to death.
Papa Doc also had a torture chamber constructed in the basement of his palace in Port au Prince. It was painted rust brown to hide the inevitable bloodstains and had peepholes drilled through the walls where the president would watch his victims suffer.
Attempted Overthrow of Papa Doc
Initially, the Americans turned a blind eye to Duvalier's regime due to his opposition to communism at the height of the Cold War. In 1963, President Kennedy decided that the regime of Papa Doc had become an embarrassment in the region and offered support to anyone wanting to overthrow the despot.
The invitation was accepted by long time opposition leader Clement Barbot who attempted the assassination of Duvalier’s son and heir, John-Claude 'Baby Doc', and his daughter Simone. The plot failed and Duvalier died peacefully in his bed only to be succeeded by his son who would become known as Baby Doc.
Haiti Under Baby Doc Duvalier
The son continued where the father left off and ruled until 1986 before he was chased out of the country by a popular uprising. With the assistance of the U.S., he was exiled to France alongside his family where he continues to reside.
The legacy of the Duvalier rule brought great misery to Haitians and worsened their plight reducing many to poverty and persecution. Haitians have fought on from those darkened day's and the Island even recorded a 6% growth in economic output in 2009.
The shadow of the Duvalier regime still remains as represented by the massive damage to infrastructure and chronic poverty as a result of the 2010 Earthquake in Haiti.
Sources
Andy Kershaw. "Stop treating these people like savages". The Independent Newspaper January 21st, 2010.
Tom Ambrose. The Nature of Despotism: From Caligula to Mugabe, the Making of Tyrants. New Holland Publishers, 2008.
Faisal Hanif - I graduated in 2008 from the University of Leicester with Bachelor Hons in History. I have recently completed a Masters in the History of ...
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