By — Andrew Mach Andrew Mach Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/former-haitian-dictator-jean-claude-baby-doc-duvalier-dies-heart-attack Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Former Haitian dictator Jean-Claude ‘Baby Doc’ Duvalier dies World Oct 4, 2014 1:29 PM EDT Former Haitian dictator Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier died of a heart attack on Saturday, his lawyer said. He was 63. Reynold George said the self-proclaimed “president for life” died at his home, the Associated Press reported. Duvalier assumed power in 1971 after the death of his father, Francois “Papa Doc” Duvalier. In 1986, the Duvaliers fled Haiti amid accusations of torturing and killing thousands of political opponents during a dictatorship marked by fear and repression. In 2011, after 25 years spent in self-imposed exile in France, a frail-looking Duvalier made a surprise return to the country, where Haitian police promptly arrested him. He later pled not guilty to charges of corruption and human rights abuse. Duvalier spent his later years near the Hatian capital of Port-au-Prince. He is survived by his wife, Veronique Roy, and two children. We're not going anywhere. Stand up for truly independent, trusted news that you can count on! Donate now By — Andrew Mach Andrew Mach Andrew Mach is a former Digital Editor for PBS NewsHour in New York City, where he manages the online editorial direction of the national broadcast's weekend edition. Formerly, Mach was a news editor and staff writer for NBC News. He's also written for the Christian Science Monitor in Boston and had stints at ABC News, the Washington Post and German network ZDF in Berlin, in addition to reporting for an investigative journalism project in Phoenix. Mach was a recipient of the 2016 Kiplinger Fellowship, the 2015 RIAS German/American Exchange fellowship by the Radio Television Digital News Foundation and the 2012 Berlin Capital Program Fulbright. He attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and is a native of Aberdeen, South Dakota. @andrewjmach
Former Haitian dictator Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier died of a heart attack on Saturday, his lawyer said. He was 63. Reynold George said the self-proclaimed “president for life” died at his home, the Associated Press reported. Duvalier assumed power in 1971 after the death of his father, Francois “Papa Doc” Duvalier. In 1986, the Duvaliers fled Haiti amid accusations of torturing and killing thousands of political opponents during a dictatorship marked by fear and repression. In 2011, after 25 years spent in self-imposed exile in France, a frail-looking Duvalier made a surprise return to the country, where Haitian police promptly arrested him. He later pled not guilty to charges of corruption and human rights abuse. Duvalier spent his later years near the Hatian capital of Port-au-Prince. He is survived by his wife, Veronique Roy, and two children. We're not going anywhere. Stand up for truly independent, trusted news that you can count on! Donate now