Haiti: Small Stirrings of Change

As unrest deepens, "Baby Doc" shakes up his Cabinet

For decades, the mostly poor and illiterate people of Haiti (pop. 6 million) have accepted their fate at the hands of corrupt dictators. But in recent months a combination of blatant economic mismanagement, lavish corruption surrounding President-for-Life Jean-Claude ("Baby Doc") Duvalier and brutal repression of those who protest his regime has brought increasing numbers of Haitians to a stark conclusion: enough is enough.

Across the social spectrum, Haitians have become increasingly open about voicing their opposition to the excesses of the 28-year-old Duvalier dynasty. Some even talk wistfully of a popular uprising or army coup. "There is a climate of extreme...

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