Roger Lafontant

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Roger Lafontant (* 1931 in Port-au-Prince ; † September 29, 1991 ibid) was a Haitian politician who was provisional president of Haiti for a few hours on January 7, 1991 .

Life

Lafontant completed a degree in medicine and later worked as a gynecologist . During the presidency of François Duvalier in 1959 he was one of the co-founders of the militia MVSN (Milice de Volontaires de la Sécurité Nationale) , the so-called " Tonton Macoute ". On November 15, 1972 he was appointed Minister of the Interior and National Defense by the new President Jean-Claude Duvalier to succeed Luckner Cambronne , but was replaced two months later on January 16, 1973 by Breton Nazaire. He then became consul in Montreal and held this position for nine years before, after his return to Haiti on July 12, 1982, President Duvalier succeeded Joseph W. Alexis Guerrier as Minister of the Interior and National Defense (Ministre de l 'Intérieur et de la Défense nationale) was appointed. He held these ministerial posts until his replacement by François Guillaume on September 12, 1985. After the overthrow of President Duvalier on February 6, 1986, he went into exile in the Dominican Republic .

On July 7, 1990, Lafontant returned to Haiti and, as chairman of the Union pour la Réconciliation Nationale (URN), declared his intention to run in the upcoming presidential elections. However, his candidacy was rejected by the Provisional Electoral Council (Conseil électoral provisoire) and an arrest warrant was issued on July 18, 1990, which, however, was not carried out due to his health situation. On the night of January 6th to 7th, 1991, he led a coup d'état against incumbent President Ertha Pascal-Trouillot to prevent Jean-Bertrand Aristide , who was elected in the December 16, 1990 elections, from taking office . Pascal-Trouillot was forced to announce Lafontant as her successor in a televised address. However, Lafontant was forced to flee Haiti a few hours later after unrest emerged, after which Ertha Pascal-Trouillot was able to take over the office of acting president again.

After returning to Haiti in July 1991, Lafontant was sentenced to life imprisonment and murdered on September 29, 1991 while in prison.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Former Chief of Duvalier's Militia Claims Power After Coup in Haiti . In: The New York Times, January 7, 1991
  2. ^ "General Without An Army" , article in TIME magazine of January 21, 1991
  3. ↑ ECHEC AUX MACOUTES . In: L'Humanité, January 8, 1991
  4. ↑ Ex-duvalier Henchman Convicted Of Coup Attempt . In: Orlando Sentinel, July 31, 1991
predecessor Office successor
Ertha Pascal-Trouillot Provisional President of Haiti
January 7, 1991 		Ertha Pascal-Trouillot
personal data
SURNAME Lafontant, Roger
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Haitian doctor and politician
DATE OF BIRTH 1931
PLACE OF BIRTH Port-au-Prince
DATE OF DEATH September 29, 1991
Place of death Port-au-Prince