Cincinnatus Leconte, President of the Republic of Haiti, was born 172 years ago

Minister then exile

A descendant of an illegitimate son of Jean-Jacques Dessalines, he studied at the University of Mainz before turning to politics. He served as Minister of Public Works and Agriculture under Tirésias Simon Sam. After that president's resignation on May 12, 1902, the National Assembly saw him as a successor, but unrest prevented the vote. As Minister of the Interior under Nord Alexis, he later had to go into exile in Jamaica following the 1908 revolution.

The 1911 election

Having returned in 1911 thanks to an amnesty granted by President Simon, he joined the opposition, took the lead of a popular movement and secured the resignation of the head of state. On August 7, 1911, Congress elected him unanimously for a 7-year term. In power, he had streets paved, increased teachers' salaries, installed telephone lines and reduced the size of the army. His government also pursued a discriminatory policy towards the country's Syrian population.

The explosion of the National Palace

On August 8, 1912, a violent explosion destroyed the National Palace. The president lost his life there, along with several members of his family and numerous soldiers. That very day, the National Assembly appointed Tancrède Auguste to succeed him. A few months earlier, his nephew Joseph Laroche had perished in the sinking of the Titanic.