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The Haitian National Truth and Justice Commission


The Haitian National Truth and Justice Commission began its operations in April 1995 and ended in February 1996. Haiti's once diverse and lively civil society had been tarnished greatly as a result of the ousting of its first democratically-elected President, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, by its military forces. This deposing of President Aristide is widely known as a coup d'état, and from 1991 to 1994, the country became known for its weak civilian government. The army was determined to return Haiti to the intimidated society existing during the Duvalier dictatorship seven years prior.

The Duvalier regime of the late 1960s and the early 1970s is partly to blame for the coup d'état that occurred resulting in Aristide's removal from power the first time. Duvalier was elected president with the help of the United States and a Haitian populace that was enduring a previous coup d'état that occurred in 1950. Once in office, the Haitian President, François "Papa Doc" Duvalier, had the Haitian constitution rewritten so that no other President could succeed him, despite his term legally ending on May 15, 1963. Duvalier remained Haiti's President until his death on April 21, 1971, ending the reign of the most corrupt President in Haiti's history. Most of Haiti's governments have been corrupt, essentially making him the most prestigious in this field so far.

The oppression in Haiti resulting from Duvalier's regime was evident. With much aid from the United States throughout this period, Haiti provided him with five palaces, the Tonton Macoute, (which was his own private police force), and many sources of income. At the time, Haiti's literacy rate was ten percent, fifty percent infant mortality rate, fifteen percent of budget went in operations, while 85 percent went to the staff and associates of Duvalier.

Little of Papa Doc's mandate favored the Haitian citizens and their human rights. With the Tonton Macoute intimidating all threatening oppositions by forcing activists to leave the country or by ascertaining liberties or apportioning assets. Many executions were disguised, as exiles and sources state that as many as 2000 people could be executed in the span of one month during this dictatorship.

Being Haiti's first democratically elected president, coming out of a very harsh dictatorship, the Haitian populace welcomed Aristide with open arms. He symbolized change in a time that previously lacked hope in Haiti. Despite the people voting Aristide into office, he still had much of the Duvalier military to worry about and they had a very different opinion of the changes that were occurring in 1990. They became hostile towards the newly elected President and were able to assert their dominance of the island quickly as a result of their military weapons and training. Only a year into Aristide's presidency, he found himself removed from power by an army led by commander-in-chief, Raoul Cédras, who had overseen many accounts of human rights violations without holding any of his section chiefs responsible.


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