A culture of violence The Duvaliers ruled Haiti for nearly 30 years, and their rule was marked by a

A culture of violence The Duvaliers ruled Haiti for nearly 30 years, and their rule was marked by a

widespread culture of violence. The infamous Tontons Macoutes, Duvalier’s private militia, established a regime of terror beyond the imagination of most people: they had a free hand in arresting, detaining, torturing and killing whoever was considered to be an opponent of the regime, or whose wealth members of the ruling class coveted. Thousands were killed or had to flee the country. Violence became a means of achieving and preserving absolute political power.

Outbursts of violence and a round of bloody military coups followed the departure of Jean-Claude Duvalier in February 1986, lasting until the elections that brought Jean-Bertrand Aristide to power in December 1990. Aristide, a former priest, carried the hopes of the poor in Haiti. But, in less than a year, a military coup led by General Cedras forced Aristide into exile. The coup was one of the bloodiest in Haiti’s troubled history: some 1500 people died, 40,000 fled the country and many more left the capital for the countryside.

The international community imposed an embargo as violent demon- strations rocked the country. International pressure and a US-led military inter- vention finally brought Aristide back to Haiti on 15 October 1994 to complete his term as president. Although not eligible for a second term in office because of the constitution, Aristide continued to pull many strings when he was replaced by René Préval, a close associate. In 2000, in a presidential election marked by massive fraud and the participation of only 10 per cent of registered voters, Aristide was declared winner, with 91.6 per cent of the votes.

Although the Duvaliers had long gone, ‘Duvalierism’ lived on during the Aristide years. Violence, human rights abuses and corruption continued unabated and remained the primary means of preserving power and amassing wealth. The Tontons Macoutes were replaced by other armed groups, some of

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whom continue to threaten security in Haiti to this day. Indeed, violence and impunity have become characteristic of the Haitian political scene in the past

50 years.

Table 13.7 Haiti – chronology of key events

1 January 1804 Haiti gains independence from France 1807–1820

Civil war between north and south Haiti 1821–1844

Haiti invades and occupies Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic since 1844) 1915–1934

The US invades and occupies Haiti 1957

Dr François ‘Papa Doc’ Duvalier is elected president through military- controlled elections

1959 Duvalier creates his private militia ( Tontons Macoutes), following an attempted coup

1964 Duvalier proclaims himself President-for-Life 1971

Papa Doc Duvalier dies in office after naming his 19 year-old son Jean- Claude (‘Baby Doc’) as his successor

7 February 1986 Jean-Claude Duvalier leaves Haiti, following popular unrest and external pressure

A succession of military coups follows

16 December 1990 Father Jean-Bertrand Aristide is elected president with 67.5 per cent of the votes in Haiti’s first-ever democratic election

30 September 1991 Military coup by General Raoul Cedras. Aristide goes into exile. An international embargo is imposed against Haiti in October 1991

19 September 1994 A US-led military intervention leads to the return of President Aristide in October

28 April 1995 Aristide abolishes the National Army 1996–2000

As Aristide is not eligible for a second consecutive term, René Préval, a close associate, is elected President

29 November 2000 Aristide is elected president in an election marked by fraud and extremely low participation. Economic sanctions are imposed on Haiti

29 February 2004 Aristide is forced to resign and to go into exile. The UN Security Council authorizes the deployment of a Multinational Interim Force to be followed by a UN Stabilisation Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH)

17 March 2004 A government of transition is formed under Prime Minister Gerard Latortue 16 February 2006

René Préval is declared President-elect, following elections held on 7 February

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