Since its independence at the beginning of 1804, Haïti has experienced many turmoil, most of which have taken on a bloody character. It continued during the twentieth century.
Its peak was known during the era of the dictator François Duvalier, who confiscated the individual liberties of Haitians and resorted to the execution of his opponents, using a local militia he founded to carry out assassinations and terrorize citizens.
Between 1956 and 1957, Haiti lived in a state of chaos during which five governments succeeded in running the country’s affairs.
coinciding with the withdrawal of President Paul Magloire, whose popularity declined due to the issue of financial corruption and looting Aid money, and his refusal to run for another term, Doctor Duvalier took advantage of the political vacuum in the country to run for the presidential elections and lead a propaganda campaign that promised to grant the majority of African descent more rights at the expense of the Mulatto.
Thanks to this, Duvalier won the 1957 elections with a percentage of nearly 70%.
Coup and rapprochement with America and Canada
Following a coup attempt in 1958, Duvalier declared a state of emergency in the country and forced Parliament to grant him absolute power and turned
As for the extension of his authority over the entire country, the Haitian dictator established an armed militia that consisted of thousands of elements and was very similar to the black shirts militia established by fascists in Italy in the last century.
Over the following years, this militia terrorized the population, arresting and executing opponents
After the success of the Cuban Revolution and the establishment of Fidel Castro for a communist regime near Florida, the dictator of Haiti received great support from the United States of America and Canada, who feared that Haiti might join the communist camp and fall into the arms of the Soviet Union.
Immigration, economic disaster and tampering with the grave
Despite being subjected to many assassination attempts, Duvalier managed to He extended his influence over the entire country and proceeded to dissolve Parliament and persecute the Catholic Church.
François Duvalier in 1958 in military uniform
During his rule that lasted for more than 13 years, the dictator of Haiti expelled Christian missionaries and accused them of antagonizing his regime, thus angering the Vatican.
With his clampdown on Catholicism, Duvalier tended to promote the Voodoo belief, which has spread extensively over the past centuries in West Africa and the Caribbean.
After his suppression of freedoms and his persecution of his opponents through his militias, Duvalier caused the departure of Tens of thousands of Haitians travel to the United States and Canada. While the first wave of immigration was warmly received by Americans and Canadians because it included large numbers of craftsmen, intellectuals and doctors, the following waves of immigration angered the officials of these countries, as these waves consisted of Haitians, not fluent in French and English and mastering the Creole language only, lacking professional experience and fleeing From the scourge of poverty in their country.
During the following years, Duvalier held a referendum in which he won with 99.99% of the votes and subsequently became president-term Life as he deliberately changed the colors of the country’s flag and caused his actions, which resulted in the departure of talent, in an economic disaster for Haiti.
While François Duvalier, prior to his death in April 1971, appointed his son Jean-Claude Duvalier (Jean- Claude Duvalier) succeeded him at the head of the country, so the latter ruled and continued the policy of his father until his fall in 1986.
Moreover, with the collapse of the regime in 1986, angry masses invaded the shrine of former President François Duvalier, destroyed its contents, extracted his body and tampered with
