François Duvalier

François Duvalier known as "Papa Doc" (possibly April 14, 1907 - April 21, 1971) was the President of Haiti from 1957 and later dictator (President for Life) from 1964 until his death. His rule was marked by autocracy, corruption, and reliance on private armies (see Tonton Macoute) to maintain power.

Consolidation of power

After surviving an attempted coup in mid-1958, Duvalier purged the army. He then formed a personal militia in 1959 known as the Voluntary Militia for National Security (MVSN, better-known as the Tonton Macoutes) which was patterened after the blackshirts of Fascist Italy. The macoutes made no official salary and as such made their living through crime and extortion. Duvalier further formed a group of personal bodyguards known as the Presidential Guard. In 1961, he rewrote the constitution and then staged a single-candidate sham election; the official count was 1.32 million votes for Duvalier and none against. He declared himself President for Life in 1964, and his regime soon grew to be one of the most repressive in the hemisphere.

Related Topics:
1959 - Tonton Macoutes - Blackshirts - Fascist - Italy - 1961 - 1964

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In 1966, Duvalier persuaded the Vatican to allow him to nominate the Catholic hierarchy for Haiti. On an ideological level, this perpetuated the notion of black nationalism by allowing the country to appoint its own bishops. It also allowed Duvalier to expand his control to encompass religious institutions.

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In addition to his pervasive control over Haitian life, Duvalier also fostered an extensive personality cult around himself, claiming to be the physical embodiment of the island nation.

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