Jean-Claude Duvalier
| Jean-Claude Duvalier | |
|---|---|
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|
| President of Haiti | |
|
In office 22 April 1971 – 7 February 1986 |
|
| Preceded by | François Duvalier |
| Succeeded by | Henri Namphy |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
3 July 1951 Port-au-Prince, Haiti |
| Died | 4 October 2014 (aged 63) Port-au-Prince, Haiti |
| Nationality | Haitian |
| Political party | National Unity Party |
| Spouse(s) |
Michèle Bennett (1980–1990) |
| Domestic partner | Véronique Roy (1990–2014) |
| Relations |
François Duvalier (father) Simone Ovide (mother) |
| Children | Nicolas Duvalier Anya Duvalier |
| Alma mater | University of Haiti |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
Jean-Claude Duvalier (French pronunciation: [ʒɑ̃klod dyvalje]), nicknamed “Baby Doc” (Haitian Creole: Bebe Dòk) (3 July 1951 – 4 October 2014), was the President of Haiti from 1971 until his overthrow by a popular uprising in 1986. He succeeded his father François "Papa Doc" Duvalier as the ruler of Haiti after the latter's death in 1971. After assuming power, he introduced cosmetic changes to his father's regime and delegated much authority to his advisors. Thousands of Haitians were killed or tortured, and hundreds of thousands fled the country during his presidency. He maintained a notoriously lavish lifestyle (including a state-sponsored US$ 2 million wedding in 1980) while poverty among his people remained the most widespread of any country in the Western Hemisphere.
Relations with the United States improved after Duvalier's ascension to the presidency, and later deteriorated under the Carter administration, only to again improve under Ronald Reagan due to the strong anti-communist stance of the Duvaliers. Rebellion against the Duvalier regime broke out in 1985 and Baby Doc fled to France in 1986 on a U.S. Air Force craft.
Duvalier unexpectedly returned to Haiti on 16 January 2011, after two decades in self-imposed exile in France. The following day, he was arrested by Haitian police, facing possible charges for embezzlement. On 18 January, Duvalier was charged with corruption. On 28 February 2013, Duvalier pleaded not guilty to charges of corruption and human rights abuse. He died of a heart attack on 4 October 2014, at the age of 63.
Duvalier was born in Port-au-Prince and was brought up in an isolated environment. He attended Nouveau College Bird and Saint-Louis de Gonzague. Later, he studied law at the University of Haiti under the direction of several professors, including Maître Gérard Gourgue.
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