"Baby Doc" Duvalier is back in Haiti

[Ed Jewett]

Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier returned to Haiti on Sunday....

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE70G02720110117

[Magda Hassan]

Poor Haiti. After all they've gone through. I hope they send the vulture off back to France.

[Peter Lemkin]

Poor Haiti. After all they've gone through. I hope they send the vulture off back to France.

I'm sure he only has in mind doing well by Haiti's poorest and most in need...just like he did before, and his father before that. angryfire Family of Dictator pigs

[Jan Klimkowski]

His (Baby Doc's) return electrified Haiti

Perhaps, but not with the thought of the improvement of the lot of ordinary Haitians, but with the sheer visceral fear of what Baby Doc's torturers and death squads did to Haiti last time.

This is an unmitigated tragedy for Haiti.

The fact that the colonial powers (esp US, Canada and France) and the UN, have allowed the murderer Baby Doc to return, whilst Aristide is still in exile after being kidnapped at gunpoint by Bush's marines, reveals the true agenda.

Two hundred years after the Haitian revolution kicked the white slavemasters out, their children and grandchildren are condemned to economic slavery by western multinationals, and terror and fear by western-sponsored death squads.

Baby Doc's voudou face is a mask disguising the identity of his true masters, and providing MSM with lazy, racist, cliches about pagan, uneducated, blacks.

Baby Doc is to Voudou what Cardinal Ratzinger is to Christianity. A thoroughly corrupt and immoral front man.

:ballchain:

Jean-Claude 'Baby Doc' Duvalier returns to Haiti

Former dictator welcomed by supporters after flying home following 25 years of exile in France

Rory Carroll, Latin America correspondent guardian.co.uk, Monday 17 January 2011 07.47 GMT

The former Haiti dictator Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier made a shock return to the country last night for the first time since being toppled in 1986.

His return electrified Haiti, which is suffering a political and humanitarian crisis.

The frail-looking 59-year-old arrived in Port-au-Prince on an Air France flight from Paris, ending a quarter of a century exile with Haiti embroiled in a volatile political battle for a new president.

Duvalier, wearing a dark suit and tie, was hugged by supporters who chanted: "Long live Duvalier!"

"I was waiting for this moment for a long time," he said outside the airport. "When I first set foot on the ground, I felt great joy."

He had returned "because I know the people are suffering", he told Reuters, adding: "I wanted to show them my solidarity, to tell them that I am here, I am well disposed and determined to participate in the rebirth of Haiti."

The former playboy, whose rule between 1971 and 1986 is remembered for corruption and brutality, but also relative stability, was whisked into the capital, where he was expected to give a press conference today.

It was not immediately clear why Baby Doc so called because he succeeded his father, François "Papa Doc" Duvalier, as dictator had abandoned a comfortable exile in Paris for an uncertain fate at home. He may face criminal charges over killings and kleptocracy under his watch.

"He is happy to be back in this country, back in his home," Mona Beruaveau, a candidate for Senate for the small, reformed Duvalierist party, said. "He is tired after a long trip."

The president, Rene Preval, made no immediate comment and many Haitians were still unaware of the news.

The prime minister, Jean-Max Bellerive, told AP he was unaware whether Duvalier had political plans. "He is a Haitian and, as such, is free to return home," he said.

The dictator's return prompted speculation that Jean-Baptise Aristide, a former president exiled in South Africa, could also come back.

The Caribbean country is in ferment. Last year's earthquake, which was followed by hurricanes, cholera and a chaotic and inconclusive presidential election, has left many homeless, desperate and despairing of politics.

A runoff election, scheduled for last week, was delayed because two candidates, Jude Celestin and Michel Martelly, each claimed the right to run against the frontrunner, Mirlande Manigat. Street clashes in recent days have left several people dead.

UN peacekeepers and foreign donors in effect run the country, but Duvalier may hope to insert himself into the political process. From exile, he lobbied in vain to run for president in the 2006 election, and a year later he made a radio address apologising to the nation for mistakes during his rule.

Upon succeeding his father in 1971, he became, aged 19, one of the world's youngest heads of state and ruled as "president for life" for 15 years with the help of the vicious Tonton Macoute militia before bowing to popular protests and international pressure and fleeing to France.

He was accused of salting away millions of dollars from public funds in Swiss bank accounts, but a costly divorce from his former first lady made his exile reportedly comfortable rather than luxurious.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jan...urns-haiti

[Peter Lemkin]

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti Senior Haitian judicial officials met in private with Jean-Claude Duvalier and his lawyers Tuesday amid calls to arrest the former dictator for human rights violations committed under his brutal regime.

The country's top prosecutor and a judge were among those meeting with the former leader known as "Baby Doc" in the high-end hotel where he has been ensconced since his surprise return to Haiti on Sunday.

Dozens of Haitian National Police officers were posted inside and around the hotel, some of them in riot gear or guarding the stairwells. A police vehicle for transporting prisoners was parked in front of the hotel's main door and all non-police traffic was halted at the driveway.

Henry Robert Sterlin, a former ambassador under Duvalier who has said in recent days that he was speaking as a spokesman for the former dictator, told reporters at the scene he was shocked by the developments. "Let's see if they put him in prison," he said.

None of the officials would comment on what was being discussed at the meeting. Asked by journalists why he was going to meet Duvalier, Judge Gabriel Amboisse said, "I'm here to assist the prosecutor because he asked me to be here with him."

Duvalier was forced into exile in 1986 in a mass uprising and had been living in exile in France. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and others have urged the Haitian government to arrest him for widespread abuses.

Duvalier assumed power in 1971 at age 19 following the death of his father, Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier. The father and son presided over one of the darkest chapters in Haitian history, a period when thuggish government secret police force known as the Tonton Macoute tortured and killed opponents.

The younger Duvalier still has some support in Haiti and millions are too young to remember life under his dictatorship. His abrupt return sent shockwaves through the country, with some fearing that his presence will bring back the extreme polarization, and political violence, of the past.

He has not yet publicly commented on why he came back to Haiti. His longtime companion, Veronique Roy, told reporters he would stay three days.

His return comes as Haiti struggles to work through a dire political crisis following the problematic Nov. 28 first-round presidential election, as well as a cholera epidemic and a troubled recovery from an earthquake.

Duvalier has also been accused of pilfering millions of dollars from public funds and spiriting them out of the country to Swiss banks, though he denies stealing from Haiti.

The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights spokesman Rupert Colville said Tuesday that Duvalier's return increases the chance that he could be charged with atrocities committed during his 15-year rule because it will be easier to bring charges in the country where the crimes occurred.

He cautioned, though, that Haiti's fragile judicial system may be in no position to mount a case.

[Peter Lemkin]

18 January 2011 Last updated at 17:14 GMT

Haiti's Baby Doc Duvalier questioned by authorities

Former Haitian leader Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier has been questioned by judicial officials and was later led out of his hotel by police.

He was questioned over claims he stole from the country's treasury. It is not clear whether he has been arrested.

Haiti's chief prosecutor and a judge were seen arriving at his hotel in Port-au-Prince earlier on Tuesday.

Mr Duvalier, who ruled the country for 15 years before being ousted in 1986, made a surprise return to Haiti Sunday.

"He will be questioned and he will remain at the disposal of the judicial system," a senior government official, who asked not to be named, told Reuters news agency earlier.

There have been growing calls for Mr Duvalier to be prosecuted for the alleged torture and murder of thousands of people during his rule in the 1970s and 80s.

Upon his return, Mr Duvalier said he had "come to help" after last year's earthquake.

He returned on the day Haiti was supposed to hold the second round of elections to choose a successor to outgoing President Rene Preval.

But the vote has been postponed because of a dispute over which candidates should be on the ballot paper.

Provisional results from the first round on 28 November provoked violent demonstrations when they were announced in December, and most observers said there was widespread fraud and intimidation.

Mr Duvalier is staying in a hotel in the hills above the centre of the capital, Port-au-Prince. The building has been sealed off by police.

He was just 19 when he inherited the title of "president-for-life" from his father, the notorious Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier, who had ruled Haiti since 1957.

Critics allege he embezzled millions of dollars from the impoverished Caribbean nation, a charge he denies.

Like his father, he relied on a brutal private militia known as the "Tontons Macoutes", which controlled Haiti through violence and intimidation.

Haiti is struggling to recover from the massive earthquake a year ago which killed more than 250,000 people and left Port-au-Prince in ruins.

[Peter Lemkin]

The US expressed its concern about the possible return of Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier to Haiti as far back as 2006, when the country was about to hold elections, according to a confidential US diplomatic cable.

Five years on, US fears have materialised with the shock return of the former dictator last night. Duvalier, who was toppled from power in 1986, returns at a time when Haiti is struggling to recover from a devastating earthquake and amid a fraught election campaign.

In 2006 Lisa Kubiske, the US charge d'affaires in the Dominican Republic, which neighbours Haiti, alerted the Dominican foreign minister, Carlos Morales Troncoso, about Duvalier's possible return.

"Kubiske expressed USG [US government] concern over a return to Haiti of either Duvalier or [Jean-Bertrand] Aristide [the former Haitian president]. Both potentially were provocative and could complicate the ability of any new government to establish itself," the February 2006 cable said.

"If the election were inconclusive, a return of either one could certainly make things worse. We thought that neither should be allowed back into Haiti until a newly established, functioning democratic government could make a decision itself."

The election to replace the interim government of Gérard Latortue put in place after the 2004 Haiti rebellion had originally been scheduled for 2005 but was delayed four times. It went ahead on 7 February 2006 and was won by René Préval.

Duvalier, who succeeded his father, Francois "Papa Doc" Duvaier, in 1971, has re-appeared in Haiti as it is in throes of a disputed election. A runoff vote scheduled for last week was delayed because two candidates, Jude Celestin Préval's preferred candidate and Michel Martelly, each claimed the right to run against the frontrunner, Mirlande Manigat. Street clashes in recent days have left several people dead.

According to the 2006 US cable, Morales Troncoso agreed with Kubiske now the deputy chief of mission in Brazil about the undesirability of having Duvalier back on Haitian soil. "Morales Troncoso agreed that Aristide and Duvalier supporters would get upset if their opponents returned to the scene. Anti-Duvalier Haitians might seek revenge, even after 20 years, he noted. He said he had warned the Dominican embassy in Port-au-Prince among others against Duvalier coming to or through the Dominican Republic."

[Jan Klimkowski]

Peter - who wrote the disinformational crap in your post #7. The MSM source article is not given.

I know you know it to be disinformation.

I particularly object to the following:

The US expressed its concern about the possible return of Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier to Haiti as far back as 2006, when the country was about to hold elections, according to a confidential US diplomatic cable.

Five years on, US fears have materialised with the shock return of the former dictator last night.

"Baby Doc" was a Reagan-era US asset, who overplayed his hand.

US intelligence has always backed the corrupt, brutal, reactionary, forces aligned around "Baby Doc" (or similar puppet), and always feared the grassroots movement around Aristide which campaigns for eduation, healthcare, and an end to foreign multinational sweatshops.

[Peter Lemkin]

Peter - who wrote the disinformational crap in your post #7. The MSM source article is not given.

I know you know it to be disinformation.

I particularly object to the following:

The US expressed its concern about the possible return of Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier to Haiti as far back as 2006, when the country was about to hold elections, according to a confidential US diplomatic cable.

Five years on, US fears have materialised with the shock return of the former dictator last night.

"Baby Doc" was a Reagan-era US asset, who overplayed his hand.

US intelligence has always backed the corrupt, brutal, reactionary, forces aligned around "Baby Doc" (or similar puppet), and always feared the grassroots movement around Aristide which campaigns for eduation, healthcare, and an end to foreign multinational sweatshops.

Sorry Jan for not sourcing it. It is based on a Wikileak State Dept. Cable. I'll try to locate it in full and post....along with the cable.

I think [not 100% sure it was from the Guardian...but here is one of the cables:
Cable dated:2006-02-07T22:12:00
C O N F I D E N T I A L SANTO DOMINGO 000409
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR WHA/CAR-NICHOLS, SEARBY; INR/SAA-BEN-YEHUDA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/07/2016
TAGS: PREL, DR, HA
SUBJECT: DOMINICAN REPUBLIC FOREIGN MINISTER DISCUSSES HAITI
REF: SANTO DOMINGO 0171


Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Lisa Kubiske. Reason: 1.4(b) and (d).


1. © Summary and comment. In a February 6 meeting requested by Charge Kubiske to underscore USG concerns about the possible return of Duvalier to Haiti, Dominican Foreign Minister Carlos Morales Troncoso said he had warned the Dominican embassy in Port-au-Prince and others to keep Duvalier out of the Dominican Republic and agreed that Duvalier,s (and Aristide,s) presence could be unhelpful. He said the Dominican Government,s highest interest was for peaceful, legitimate elections, so that the two governments -- his and the newly elected Haitian one -- could resume regular discussions on issues of mutual concern such as migration. He looked forward to working with whoever wins, and expected a Preval victory on the first round. Comment: We found Morales Troncoso current and engaged on Haiti, with plans to be immediately available to handle any developments that might arise. Morales Troncoso appeared understanding and supportive of our concern about any possible Duvalier return to Haiti. End summary and comment.


2. © Charge Kubiske, accompanied by poloff, met February 6 with Dominican Foreign Minister Carlos Morales Troncoso to discuss the outlook for the Haitian elections and aftermath, and, in particular, to re-alert the Dominican government to USG concerns about a possible return of Duvalier to Haiti. Morales noted several recent conversations with OAS Secretary General Insulza and UN SRSG Valdez, as well as with senior officials in the Dominican embassy in Port-au-Prince, among others.


Duvalier,s Return to Haiti "Unhelpful"

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3. © Kubiske expressed USG concern over a return to Haiti of either Duvalier or Aristide. Both potentially were provocative and could complicate the ability of any new government to establish itself. If the election were inconclusive, a return of either one could certainly make things worse. We thought that neither should be allowed back into Haiti until a newly established, functioning democratic government could make a decision itself. Kubiske recalled President Fernandez, January 11 conversation with WHA DAS Patrick Duddy in which Fernandez himself had agreed that Duvalier,s arrival in Haiti around the time of the elections would be detrimental and that Duvalier should not be permitted to return via the Dominican Republic (reftel).

4. © Morales Troncoso agreed that Aristide and Duvalier supporters would get upset if their opponents returned to the scene. Anti-Duvalier Haitians might seek revenge, even after 20 years, he noted. He said he had warned the Dominican embassy in Port-au-Prince among others against Duvalier coming to or through the Dominican Republic. Reminded by Kubiske about past Dominican government tolerance of the presence of Haitian activists on Dominican soil, Morales Troncoso did not expect Duvalier to live in the Dominican Republic.


5. © For this week, Morales Troncoso said the most important thing is that everyone votes on February 7 and that the vote is legitimate. He added, "Anything we can do, we will do, toward this end." Kubiske suggested that the Dominican Government make clear that it doesn,t see Duvalier as helpful to Haiti. He strongly agreed: "In fact, unhelpful," he replied. Kubiske clarified that the message should be that Duvalier was "not welcome" from a Dominican perspective.


Election Day Outlook Good

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6. © Morales Troncoso noted his brief conversation with OAS Secretary General Insulza at the airport earlier in the day and his various conversations with the Dominican Port-au-Prince senior staff. He reported that Insulza sounded optimistic about the prospects for the Haitian elections and that his staff reported that the situation was calm as of 6:00 pm February 6. Washington is also optimistic, though we can never rule out entirely some potential problems, Kubiske noted. The foreign minister agreed, saying "You can,t rule out anything on Haiti." He confirmed that the Dominican Government had put more troops along the Dominican-Haitian border as a matter of preparing for a worst-case scenario. Morales said he had cleared his February 7 calendar of most events, in case something developed that would need his attention.


7. © FM Morales Troncoso thought Preval could win on the first round, though he noted that Haiti is very unpredictable. He expected low turnout for the elections; "30 percent would be great."


Working with a New Haitian Government

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8. © Morales Troncoso said that the Dominican Government would be able to work with any of the candidates. Overall, the Dominican Republic wanted to be able to co-exist well with its island neighbor. As for specific candidates, Morales Troncoso was especially optimistic about Preval or Baker. With Preval, he expected that the Dominican Government could make use of the DR-Haiti bi-national commission. (Note: In the past, the two governments have been able to use the commission for migration issues, among other things.) He characterized Preval as quiet and professional. Morales Troncoso didn,t know Baker, but noted that the Dominican consul general in Port-au-Prince, Carlos Castillo, thinks highly of him. As for Manigat, Morales Troncoso thought he was a "nice guy." They had gotten to know each other after the Dominican government put him up in a hotel when Manigat was removed from the presidency in the 1980s.


9. © Morales Troncoso said that the Core Group on Haiti, including OAS Secretary General Insulza, had decided to postpone its meeting here from last week until March 5. The postponement would allow for organizing a more public event and discussing the post-election situation. The foreign minister also mentioned a project the Dominican government had been developing for Haitian students in the Dominican Republic. He thought the Dominican government could help Haiti with education and health. The project had been postponed while the IGOH was in power, but he hoped to resume it soon after the elections.


Comment

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10. © We found Morales Troncoso current and engaged on Haiti, with plans to be immediately available to handle any developments that might arise. Morales Troncoso appeared understanding and supportive of our concern about any possible Duvalier return to Haiti. End comment.


Biographic Notes on Dominican-Haitian Diplomatic Dealings

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11. © Kubiske asked about the new Haitian ambassador in Santo Domingo, Fritz Cineas. Cineas and his family, the foreign minister noted, were Duvalier supporters; the new ambassador, in fact, had been a young private secretary to Papa Doc Duvalier. Morales Troncoso characterized Cineas as a good man, a moderate, open and transparent. He had medical training and ample experience in diplomacy. The foreign minister didn,t know how long Cineas would keep this new job, since the outcome was likely to depend on the elections.


12. © As for the Dominican embassy in Port-au-Prince, Morales Troncoso noted he speaks with both Ambassador Jose Serulle RamiaXXXXXXXXXXXX and with Consul General Carlos Castillo. He acknowledged that he depends more on Castillo. Serulle, he said, is a friend of Preval,s, while Castillo is in touch with Baker.


KUBISKE

[Jan Klimkowski]

[
Sorry Jan for not sourcing it. It is based on a Wikileak State Dept. Cable. I'll try to locate it in full and post....along with the cable.

Peter - excellent find. :mexican:

I know you to be a researcher of great integrity and insight.

Unlike the authors of US diplomatic cables...... :plane: