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Port-au-Prince. Haitians have been stunned by the sudden return of former dictator Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier, likening his reappearance after 25 years in exile to greeting the man who fell to earth.

As friends and well-wishers trooped through the luxury Karibe Hotel to welcome the man who once ruled the Caribbean nation with a bloody fist, speculation swirled about why he had chosen this traumatic moment in Haiti’s chaotic history to return.

Despite an atmosphere of tense speculation, there have been no arrests, no riots, no celebrations. No endorsements, no announcements, no explanations. No news, almost, except the return of a man ousted from power in 1986.

“We’re just surprised at the timing of the arrival of Jean Claude Duvalier. Coming as it does, when it does, given everything occurring right now around the elections,” the US Embassy in Haiti said.

But the human rights community, and those once victim to Baby Doc’s tactics of torture and repression, cannot hide their revulsion and horror.

“Haiti has enough troubles without Duvalier,” said Jose Miguel Vivanco, Americas Director of Human Rights Watch, in a statement.

“Politics, it’s like mathematics,” said one young bystander late on Sunday. “Right now, they don’t even believe it’s him. He just fell from the sky.”

The campaign of Michel “Sweet Micky” Martelly, one of the most popular candidates in November’s presidential elections, was caught off guard by Duvalier’s arrival, according to campaign sources.

From a political standpoint, Martelly would appear to have the most to lose in the stalled elections to replace President Rene Preval. In the run-up to the November ballot, some accused Martelly of being a neo-Duvalierist.

“Many of the people around Martelly are neo-Duvalierist,” said Robert Fatton, a Haitian-born history professor at the University of Virginia.

“So this is the other possibility, that Preval allowed Jean-Claude to get back in the country to show the population that in fact Jean-Claude and Martelly are the same. So that would discredit Martelly and he could push for his candidate.”

Veronique Roy, Duvalier’s long-time partner traveling with him, however dismissed speculation he had been asked to return by Preval, saying: “There has been absolutely no contact.”

But some Haitians are now beginning to wonder whether Martelly will team up with the 59-year-old Duvalier in a new political scene, dominated by old characters.

Albert Chancy, the director of Radio Tele Superstar, a local news outlet, says Duvalier’s arrival in Haiti has shown how many people are linked to the old regime.

“Everybody knows everybody. Manigat, Martelly, Celestin.”

The uncle of Jude Celestin — Preval’s handpicked protege — is Rony Gilot, who was information minister under Jean-Claude Duvalier. He also penned a biography of Duvalier’s father Francois “Papa Doc” Duvalier, whom “Baby Doc” took over from at the age of 19.

The dreaded Tonton Macoutes, a secret police force loyal to the Duvalier family, have been accused of kidnapping, torturing and killing up to 30,000 suspected opponents during the 1960s and 1970s.

Whether or not Duvalier, who has merely said so far that he has “come to help,” will run for president is still unknown.

A French diplomat said he had a return ticket to France on Thursday, Jan. 20. But Prime Minister Jean-Claude Bellerive confirmed Duvalier traveled to Haiti on an expired passport, something which some say could make it impossible for him to return to France.

 

Agence France-Presse