Latinnews Archive
Latin American Weekly Report - 24 September 1971
Haiti: ten green bottles
Papa Doc's heirs are now beginning to slug it out in Port au Prince and Luckner Cambronne and General Claude Raymond look the likely winners.
The battle for power in Haiti, so closely fought since President Francois Duvalier died in April, looks as if it is moving towards a crisis. After four months of manoeuvering between the rival groups, which have seen both Marie Denise, Papa Doc's eldest daughter, and Gerard de Catalogne, the director of tourism and public relation, leave the country, all seems set for a trial of strength between those still left in Port au Prince.
Of the four key people in the present situation, only two look likely to survive. Luckner Cambronne, the minister of the interior, and General Claude Raymond, the army commander, seem to have used their long-standing friendship to work together to oust any other contenders for power. They sent Gerard de Catalogne on his way with sufficient hints to make him take refuge in the Mexican embassy before leaving for Europe to become ambassador to the Hague. Their message seems to have been equally clear to Marie Denise whose so-called holiday in Paris with her husband, Max Dominique, the Haitian ambassador, has turned into a campaign to get all the French military aid, which they so assiduously sought before the tables were turned, cancelled.
Cambronne and Raymond now seem set on removing Colonel Gracia Jacques, the head of the presidential guard from his post. As a member of the Privy council set up by Papa Doc to look after Jean Claude, Jacques is proving an obstacle to their plans. Two of his key officers have been removed, including Lieutenant Colonel Cecilio Dorce who has gone to Washington as military attache. Once Jacques has been eased out of the echelons of power, then the stage will be clear to remove President Jean Claude Duvalier, himself. Lesser impediments such as Jacques Fourcand who, when head of the Haitian Red cross, promised a 'Himalaya of corpses' if anyone tried to overthrow Papa Doc, has been quietly dropped along with Herve Boyer, the former finance minister and an ex-communist.
The main obstacle to the ousting of Jean Claude at this stage appears to be the influence of the United States embassy which is very much in the picture. It is understood that Clinton Knox, the ambassador, has been urging Papa Doc's widow, Madame Simone, to remain in the country with her son to prevent any widespread trouble. She, reportedly, is very keen to leave but will not do so unless her son accompanies her. If Jean Claude relinquishes power, a possible successor is seen as Clovis Desinor, who was sacked as finance minister by Papa Doc last November. Washington has always looked kindly on Desinor and has been promoting him again in the last few weeks.
Soon Cambronne and Raymond are likely to consolidate their position and it seems unlikely that anyone will have the resources to challenge the position they have made for themselves since Papa Doc died. Certainly the exiles can be discounted. New York exiles who have returned in the last four months have been sent on their way again after being either beaten up or briefly imprisoned. In fact, the only factor that could change is the close relationship between the two new strong men.
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