François Duvalier, the Pope Doc

Haitian dictator (1957-1971) born in Port-au-Prince, whose government was notable for its violence and terror, and who led Haiti to a serious economic and social deterioration as a result of the almost total diplomatic isolation of its nation. Graduated in medicine from the École de Médecine in Port-au-Prince (1934) and went on to work in hospitals and clinics, specializing in the treatment of tropical diseases, gaining a reputation as a physician and humanist (1934-1946).

Joining a group of nationalist intellectuals who exposed their ideas in the publication Action Nationale, was Director of the Public Health Service (1946-1949) and Minister of Labor and Public Health (1949-1950). The following year a military coup brought Paul Magloire to power as his group went underground. With a new military coup (1957) and the consequent resignation of Magloire, he assumed the presidency of Haiti.
In power, he created a paramilitary force, the tonton-macoutes, to reduce the power of the military and fiercely suppress any opposition. He declared himself president for life (1964) and arranged for the National Assembly to pass power to his son, Jean-Claude, after his death, which took place in Port-au-Prince that same year.


Figure copied from the HAITI RÉFÉRENCE website:
http://www.haiti-reference.com/
Source: Biographies - Academic Unit of Civil Engineering / UFCG

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