Jean-Claude Duvalier Dies: Former Haitian Dictator Dead At 63

Former dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier known as “Baby Doc”, died in his home in Port-au-Prince of a heart attack aged 63. Duvalier, who called himself “president for life” after inheriting power from his father, Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier, at only 19 years of age in 1971. He then was forced to flee Haiti in 1986 due to popular uprisings and shocked Haitians by coming back in 2011. A few days after his return, Duvalier was accused for crimes against humanity but the former dictator successfully argued that the charges were expired after so many years.

Many people in Haiti celebrated Duvalier’s ascend as his father stepped down, believing he would rule differently but instead he went by the same policies as his predecessor; his government and military forces tortured the opposition, oppressed the people and were involved in corruption, theft and misappropriation of funds. Some, like New York-based Human Rights Watch, Reed Brody think it was a shame Duvalier died before he could be put on trial. “Duvalier’s death deprives Haitians of what could have been the most important human rights trial in the country’s history,” he said.

He allegedly fled after the withdrawal of support for his regime by the US with over $100M in European accounts and sought refuge in France, leaving jubilous haitians behind.