The Voodoo President: The Rise and Reign of Papa Doc

Early Life

François Duvalier was born in 1907 to a modest, middle-class Haitian family. His formative years were marked by the American military’s occupation of Haiti which lasted from 1915-1934. Throughout this period, U.S. Marines mistreated the black population, imposing heavy taxes, forcing them into unpaid labour, and subjecting them to routine abuse. These experiences fostered a deep-seated hatred for the United States within Duvalier, shaping his worldview and future political stance.

In 1934, the same year that U.S. forces finally left Haiti, Duvalier completed his medical studies and became a practicing doctor. He began a promising career serving the people of Port-au-Prince, but his real passion was black nationalist politics. He threw himself into a movement called 'Noirism,' which advocated for black Haitian empowerment and the rejection of foreign influences in Haitian culture and politics.

Duvalier was fascinated by his and Haiti's African heritage. When slaves were shipped in their millions from Africa to the New World, they brought with them cultural practices and spiritual beliefs from their homelands. Some of these beliefs fell by the wayside on the long crossing while others survived. Ancient African religion fused with Christianity and with the beliefs of the indigenous populations of the Caribbean morphing into what is called, 'Creole'. As a young doctor Francois Duvalier was fascinated by Haiti's own creole religion: Voudo.

Medicine Man

In 1944, Duvalier left Haiti for the United States to study medicine. When he returned home to Haiti, he had a head full of knowledge and medical skills that were far beyond the comprehension of many of his countrymen and women. Thousands of rural Haitians were suffering from a crippling skin disease called Yaws - a chronic bacterial infection that manifests in painful lesions all over the body. Untreated, it can lead to permanent disability and disfigurement.

Recognising the need for medical intervention, Duvalier travelled extensively across Haiti, providing antibiotics to rural communities. His efforts to distribute penicillin treatments in even the most remote areas significantly reduced Yaws infection rates. Duvalier became widely known as he toured the island, bringing his penicillin cure to the remotest parts of Haiti. To many Haitians, particularly those in isolated regions with limited access to modern medical education, Duvalier's healing powers appeared almost miraculous. He became known as a magical healer imbued with mysterious Voudo abilities.

From Medicine to Politics

In 1946, Papa Doc began to climb the political ladder in Port-au-Prince. Charismatic, sharp, and with an inspiring backstory, it wasn’t long before he became Minister for Health under a fellow Noirist, President Dumarsais Estimé. But Haitian politics was going through a pretty turbulent time. Just four years later, the army overthrew President Estimé’s regime, forcing Papa Doc out of political office. Duvalier went into hiding, where he studied political writings.

“He took this time to study the great masters—Machiavelli, Karl Marx, and Mao Zedong. In reading Machiavelli, Papa Doc learned one thing: In politics, it's better to be feared than loved.”

Raymond Joseph, former Haitian Ambassador to the United States

In 1956, with Haiti on the brink of civil war, Presidential elections were called. On September 22nd 1957, Papa Doc won a landslide victory. There were high hopes for this good doctor - that he might be the man to turn over a fresh page of Haitian history. In fact, it was the beginning of a decades-long dictatorship.

Securing Power

Duvalier had seen many Haitian leaders removed from power during his life, not always peacefully. So his first move as president was to purge the army and head off any coups. He ordered the creation of his own personal army - “Volunteers for National Security”. This force would become better known by the name of an ogre from Haitian folklore: The Tonton Macoute.

But running a private militia was expensive. To build and maintain a security force on this scale, Duvalier needed funds. He also required weapons and hardware to equip them. Luckily, an opportunity arrived at just the right time. Thanks to Fidel Castro causing unrest in the Caribbean, America needed allies in the region. To secure Duvalier’s loyalty, the US sent millions of dollars in financial aid and a detachment of marines to train his security forces. With America – the country he loathed – now forced to bolster his regime, it seemed that Duvalier had secured his position for good.

Evil Rising

Duvalier had diabetes. In 1959, he suffered a massive heart attack, possibly due to an insulin overdose. He slipped into a nine-hour coma, and when he woke, he seemed like a changed man — unfortunately, for the worse. Papa Doc had always been steeped in Haitian folklore. Now, in the aftermath of his coma, he fully embraced his Voudo aura. He began actively playing the role of a powerful Voodoo demi-god, or 'Loa'—one in particular: Baron Samedi.

“In Haitian folklore, Baron Samedi is the ultimate terrifying figure—the Haitian Grim Reaper. So, if your president is synonymous with this supernatural taker of lives, then he is not to be messed with. Duvalier would have relished that.”

James Ferguson, author of Papa Doc, Baby Doc

Having solidified his Voodoo credentials, Duvalier made a move that confirmed the death of democracy in Haiti. He decided to overturn the constitution, which limited leaders to a single term in office. On April 30th, 1961, he called an election with only one name on the ballot for President—his own. Papa Doc claimed victory with an astonishing 1.3 million, claiming that not a single Haitian had voted against him. Emboldened by this massive, albeit fraudulent, win, Papa Doc embarked on an era of absolute terror.

Murder and robbery on the island were widespread – perpetrated by those supposed to be maintaining order: the President’s dreaded paramilitaries. Most of the time, Papa Doc stayed hidden in his fortified palace, and when he did venture out, it was under heavy guard. On the rare occasions that he walked the streets amongst his bedraggled and downtrodden people, he put on PR performances of the crudest kind. To show that he ‘cared’ for his people, he handed out bundles of petty cash – cash he had syphoned from the US government aid handouts for his own pocket.

The End of His Reign

By the late 1960s, Papa Doc’s health began to decline drastically. Now in his 60s, he had already suffered one massive heart attack and had congestive heart failure. On April 21st 1971, Papa Doc Duvalier died peacefully in his bed. The transition of power from Papa Doc to his son, Baby Doc, was seamless. At just 19 years old, young Jean-Claude stepped into the Presidential Palace and picked up where his father left off. The Duvalier dynasty continued for another fifteen years until Baby Doc was finally overthrown in 1986.

“Papa Doc was evil to the point of leaving about thirty thousand people dead during his reign. I think Duvalier was evil incarnate.”

Raymond Joseph, former Haitian Ambassador to the United States

Papa Doc's legacy of terror and oppression left deep scars on Haiti's political and social fabric. Even decades after his death, the impact of his brutal regime continues to shape the nation's struggles for stability and democracy.