Jean-Claude Duvalier passed away twelve years ago in Haiti.

Youth and accession to power

Born on July 3, 1951, in Port-au-Prince, the son of François Duvalier and Simone Ovide attended the Nouveau Collège Bird and then the Institution Saint-Louis de Gonzague. He took law courses at home taught by jurists from the State University of Haiti, without completing his studies. Designated as successor, he came to power on April 21, 1971, after his father's death and became the youngest head of state in the world.

Regime and departure into exile

The first years of his government saw the release of political prisoners and the restoration of diplomatic relations with the United States. He married Michèle Bennett on May 27, 1980. The regime subsequently returned to repressive methods. Faced with popular revolt and the withdrawal of American support, he resigned in 1986 and went into exile in France.