Roger Lafontant (1931– 29 September 1991) was the former leader of the

Tonton Macoute The Tonton Macoute () or simply the Macoute, was a Haitian paramilitary and secret police force created in 1959 by dictator François "Papa Doc" Duvalier. Haitians named this force after the Haitian mythological bogeyman, (" Uncle Gunnysa ...

s and a former minister in the government of

Haiti Haiti, officially the Republic of Haiti, is a country on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and south of the Bahamas. It occupies the western three-eighths of the island, which it shares with the Dominican ...

an dictator

Jean-Claude Duvalier Jean-Claude Duvalier (; 3 July 19514 October 2014), nicknamed "Baby Doc" (, ), was a Haitian dictator who held the presidency of Haiti from 1971 until he was overthrown by a popular uprising in February 1986. He succeeded his father François ...

. He was the leader of an attempted coup d'état in January 1991, an effort which ultimately led to his death.

Early life

As a student studying to become a

gynecologist Gynaecology or gynecology (see American and British English spelling differences) is the area of medicine concerned with conditions affecting the female reproductive system. It is often paired with the field of obstetrics, which focuses on pre ...

, he founded the student branch of the Tontons Macoutes, which supported dictatorships under President

François Duvalier François Duvalier (; 14 April 190721 April 1971), also known as Papa Doc, was a Haiti, Haitian politician and Haitian Vodou, Vodouisant who served as the president of Haiti from 1957 until his death in 1971. He was elected president in the 195 ...

and his son Jean-Claude Duvalier.

Duvalier era

In November 1972, he became Minister of the Interior and National Defense. Jean-Claude Duvalier then demoted him because of Lafontant’s personal ambitions. He was then sent as consul to Montreal, Canada. He returned in August 1983, and was appointed Minister of State for the Interior and National Defense. In 1986, with the fall of Jean-Claude Duvalier, he went again into exile to the Dominican Republic.

Return to Haiti after exile

He reappeared 7 July 1990, to enter the race for the presidency at the head of the Union for National Reconciliation. Radio Liberté, founded by Serge Beaulieu, which was nostalgic for the Duvalier era, supported the candidacy of Lafontant on AM and FM bands. His candidacy was rejected by the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP). On 18 July 1990 an arrest warrant was issued against him following a court proceeding against him.

Attempted coup d'état

During the democratic elections in Haiti from 1990 to 1991, Lafontant attempted a coup on the night of 6–7 January 1991. While Lafontant claimed to have the support of the army, General

Hérard Abraham Hérard Abraham (28 July 1940 – 24 August 2022) was a Haitian military officer and politician who served as acting President of Haiti between 10 March 1990 and 13 March 1990. Biography Hérard Abraham was born in Port-au-Prince on 28 July 19 ...

and the military high command immediately condemned the coup. In a statement to the public, Abraham spoke on Monday morning, on the mutiny of a group "in the pay of Roger Lafontant" who hijacked the provisional President of the Republic,

Ertha Pascal-Trouillot Ertha Pascal-Trouillot (; born 13 August 1943) is a Haitian politician who served as the provisional President of Haiti for 11 months in 1990 and 1991. She was the first woman in Haitian history to hold that office and the first female president ...

and "forced (him) to resign." Abraham said that "the armed forces of Haiti, faithful to their constitutional responsibilities", condemned the "terrorist act" and "take all steps to ensure that the situation returns to normal." He called on the population to remain calm." The international community and the Organization of American States condemned the attempt to overthrow the provisional government of Haiti. The day of the coup, the OAS Permanent Council held an emergency meeting to discuss the situation in Haiti and decided to support the interim government. Some 75 people were killed and over 150 others were injured in the violence that erupted in Port-au-Prince during the attempted coup. Lafontant was arrested with a dozen accomplices, soldiers, and militia members of the Tontons Macoutes.

Aftermath and death

On 31 July 1991, Lafontant was sentenced to life in prison for his attempted coup against the government of Haiti. He was killed in prison during a coup later that year on 30 September 1991.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lafontant, Roger 1931 births 1991 deaths Haitian anti-communists Haitian exiles Haitian expatriates in the Dominican Republic Haitian military leaders