Testament

A fascinating and interesting video of Justin Castera speaking about the Duvalier dictatorship in the 1970s. Very educational and useful context for understanding what was going on in Haiti at the time as well as the activities of the Haitian Diaspora opposed to the dictatorship.

Haiti in 1975

Check out this short video from US news in 1975 on Haiti under Baby Doc (and part 2, here). It's amazing how Baby Doc's men could lie so easily about corruption, as well as the obvious continuities of the 'cruel' Papa Doc and the tonton under Baby Doc. Again, one sees how the economic goals of Baby Doc are remarkably similar to the Collier Report and Martelly's administration. Anyway, just ignore some of the glaring historical errors (Henri Christophe forced a quarter million ex-slaves to build the Citadel!).

Haiti in the Early 1970s

Haiti one year after Papa Doc's Death (early 1970s) in a 60 Minutes Special. Worth watching for the not quite accurate US narrator's summary of Haitian history and the use of 'transformation industries' as a phrase to describe sweatshops. Naturally, it's hardly an authoritative source, but another example of the many ways the US media approaches the subject of Haiti through exoticizing, primitive lens. It's frightening how so many of the same economic policies introduced under Baby Doc are being attempted again by the current Haitian government, although one can be glad that there is no longer a business in selling Haitian plasma and cadavers anymore (good riddance, Luckner Cambronne).

Michèle Bennett

A good video to learn more about one of the reasons Baby Doc's regime fell apart. Although hardly an authoritative source, many 'insiders' and subaltern masses attributed their disgust and eventual push for dechoukaj to the avarice of Michèle Bennett, who chose to broadcast lavish parties, spend millions, and essentially kick out Mama Doc and other Duvalier family who previously dominated the Baby Doc regime. In my opinion, there is much more nuance needed to elucidate the fall of Baby Doc than blaming it on his wife, particularly because Haiti has a long history of corrupt governments using the state as the path to enrichment. 

Additional underlying causes for Baby Doc's regime losing all legitimacy include the following: deteriorating economic conditions, a shift in perception of the Duvalierists by the middle-class and other groups who found themselves increasingly alienated by Baby Doc's embrace of the upper echelon of the elite, and, perhaps, a conspicuous alignment with light-skinned people symbolized in Baby Doc's marriage. 

In short, their marriage was part of a broader process of economic liberalization, impoverishment and a gradual shift in alliances that did not find its base in the same manner as Papa Doc. Naturally, attributing the problem of color to a political and economic moment of change is not sufficient because of the greater relevance of class, but perhaps color retained some salience given Papa Doc's lip service to noiriste thought. 

Nevertheless, this video features interesting interviews with members of the Haitian elite and middle class juxtaposed with footage and demonstrations from the lower class demanding political change. Some of the subaltern masses' accusations against Michèle Bennett do not seem realistic (would she really have ordered a makout to poison the water supply? I guess anything's possible...), but given the vast amount of 'eating' Baby Doc and his wife committed, it is not a surprise. 

Given Baby Doc's return to Haiti without any human rights abuse charges and his son's employment in the Martelly administration, Duvalierism without Duvalier in power reigns to this day. As Fatton explains, the 'authoritarian habitus' of Haitian political history replicates in successive governments and little has changed, despite several waves of democratization. Michèle Bennett is doing fine, I'm sure, and will not receive punishments for her sins anytime soon.