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| Caribbean-Latin America |
| "Baby Doc" Duvalier Says He Wants to Return to Haiti |
| 2004-03-02 |
| Exiled Haitian dictator Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier told a television reporter he wants to return to his homeland now that President Jean-Bertrand Aristide has fled. "This is my country," Duvalier told WFOR-CBS4 on Monday in an interview in Paris. "I'm ready to put myself at the disposal of the Haitian people." That can be arranged, I'm envisioning a sharpened stake myself. But Duvalier said he doesn't plan to run for president. "That is not on my agenda," Duvalier said through a translator. "Although Dictator for Life has a nice ring to it" The deposed dictator said he requested a diplomatic passport several weeks ago and is in constant contact with people in Haiti. Accused of human rights violations, mass killings and stealing at least $120 million from the national treasury, Duvalier fled to France in 1986, 15 years after succeeding his father, the late Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier. He was never the thug Daddy was. "I think I'm getting close and that I will soon have the opportunity to go back to my country," he said. They've got a nice spot picked out for you next to Papa Doc. Duvalier also said he was not involved with the rebels who helped force Aristide out of office Sunday. He applauded the "prompt action of the international community," welcomed the presence of U.S. Marines and said the country should stabilize quickly. But Reed Brody, special counsel for the group Human Rights Watch, said: "Duvalier's return to Haiti would be a disaster, unless it is to face justice." It would make for a hell of a PPV event. "His dictatorial regime was responsible for thousands of political killings and arbitrary detentions," Brody said. "It would be such a step back for Haiti to have Duvalier play a role in Haitian politics." And it would be different, how, exactly? Duvalier had been named president for life at age 18 following the 1971 death of his father. Tens of thousands were killed during the 29-year Duvalier dynasty and hundreds of millions of dollars stolen. Brody said the exact number of killed is unknown. The very name of "Papa Doc" still scares people there. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #4 This is why it's better to kill them, than depose and exile them. Did someone say Chavez? |
| Posted by: Hyper 2004-3-2 10:25:50 PM |
| #3 "I’m ready to put myself at the disposal of the Haitian people." If he's goes back there, he just might get his wish. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2004-3-2 10:17:09 PM |
| #2 The good doctor still has his insights. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2004-3-2 6:13:07 PM |
| #1 The Hunter Thompson piece from Rolling Stone Mag, back when Papa Doc "died" was about the best I ever read. I can't find the article online (rollingstone.com doesn't respond, and their archives suck ass anyway) but I remember one line: "When the crowd broke into Papa Doc's mausoleum, they found it empty. Now, in a country that's over 80% Catholic and 98% wierd Voodoo branches, this is NOT a good thing." |
| Posted by: mojo 2004-3-2 3:31:00 PM |