Exile
The Duvalier legacy, whether you support him or not, is steeped in bloodshed. Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier, created the most brutal regime in Caribbean history when he seized power in 1957. He ruled by fear, creating the Haitian secret police known as the the Tonton Macoute and used them to kidnap and murder anyone who opposed him. He even used voodoo to enhance the image of their "divine" authority in carrying out these acts of terror against his people. When Jean-Claude inherited the title of "President for Life", created and held by his father, he did little to change the status quo. He did what all 19 year olds would do when they have access to an unlimited amount of money and no one to tell him "no". He became a playboy and his people suffered. Despite all this, the Duvalier government was supported by the United States until a Haitian uprising gave Baby Doc no choice but to flee the country in1986. As a matter of fact, his mode of transportion out of Haiti into exile was a U.S. Air Force transport plane. He also made sure to take at least 100 million dollars (US) of Haiti's money with him. After Duvalier's departure, former members of the Tonton Macoute were brutally killed, as they had been doing to others for decades. His former cabinet members and inner circle fought to fill the leadership void for the next 5 years. Predictably, it wasn't without bloodshed. The St. Jean Bosco Massacre is the most infamous example of Haitian political violence in the past 25 years.
A Weak Government
History is not on Rene Preval's side when it comes to the question of whether his administration and his hand picked successor, Jude Célestin, can survive. Mirlande Manigat, the aforementioned Jude Célestin, and Michel Martelly (better known as the popular music artist, Sweet Micky) all have laid claim the the Presidency. United Nations observers say that while Mirlande Manigat won most of the popular vote but because of numerous accusations of fraud and voter intimidation, a run-off was announced to take place in January of 2011 (Update as of 1/18/2011: according the the NY Times the run-off will be pushed into February), Preval is insisting that his protege, Celestin, came in second place, which would allow him to participate in the run-off. Martelly is saying that he, not Celestin, truly came in second place. Sweet Micky's claim bolstered by his incredible popularity in Haiti. No matter the outcome of the run-off, however, the people may not be united fully behind whoever wins, especially now that Duvalier has decided to return. All of these problems serve only to compound the people's lack of faith in this government and is, in my opinion unless something changes, setting the stage to yet another violent change in Haitian leadership. If the response to the natural disasters that have ravaged the Caribbean's oldest independent nation have made Preval's government look weak and ineffectual, then the election debacle is making them look even worse. Unless Preval makes a show of strength by arresting Duvalier, as the UN and Duvalier's victims, wish him to do, the return of Baby Doc may be the nail in the coffin.
A Choice
Haiti's struggles as a nation have been well documented though probably not well known to most Americans. To those who know a little about Haiti's history will recognize the political situation as one that Haiti has faced too many times before, unstable leadership compounded by foreign interference. Duvalier's claim that he has returned to "help" seems not only ill timed but extremely self serving. If he was so concerned about his country that he could no longer ignore the call to return home, why did he wait a until a year after the earthquake? The only thing that's changed during his exile in France is that Haiti's leadership has never been in a more fragile position than it is now.
How he still has supporters is mind boggling but what shouldn't be confusing is the timing of his arrival. The Art of War states that the best time to strike at your enemies is when they are at their weakest. Preval's government certainly has the look of a battered warrior but the choice is still up to the people. I hope the people choose to hold the ideals that have made them so resilient throughout the centuries and reject Duvalier as a relic of the past that never needs to return. No to dictatorship. No to secret police. No to security at the cost freedom.
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