[thechat] Baby Doc (was: Re: Announcement)

Ron White ronwhite at members.evolt.org
Wed Mar 21 15:25:07 CST 2001


However, I think Papa Doc Duvalier had the nickname first unfortunately, he
was elected Prez in 57 and declared himself Prez for life in 64....

Apparently he was actually a decent person before getting into politics...
Hmmm big surprise there... :-)

Thanks,
Ron White

The details if anyone cares or plans to be on Jeopardy :-)


 Duvalier, François (1907-1971), Haitian political leader and physician
(hence his familiar name, Papa Doc), born in Port-au-Prince, and educated at
the faculty of medicine of the University of Haiti. From 1934 to 1946
Duvalier served in hospitals and clinics, specializing in the treatment of
the tropical disease yaws; for this he gained a reputation as a
humanitarian. From 1946 to 1950 he was director general of the National
Public Health Service and secretary of labor. After 1950 Duvalier led the
resistance to President Paul Eugène Magloire (1907- ), and in 1957 he was
elected president for a 6-year term. In 1964 Duvalier had himself declared
president for life. His dictatorial regime oversaw military and governmental
purges, mass executions, and the institution of curfews, all enforced by the
dreaded Tonton Macoute, his personal and violent secret police.

In January 1971 the legislature amended the constitution to permit Duvalier
to name his son, Jean Claude Duvalier (1951- ), as his successor. The young
Duvalier assumed the presidency of Haiti on his father's death. In response
to three months of protest against the government's political and economic
repression, he fled the country in early 1986 and settled in France.






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