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Show The Salt Lake Tribune, Sunday, January A3 12, 1'liifi Haitis First Lady May Be Real Power Behind Dictator fioft. The following oitiOe tocusev on Huihun T' evUenMoi aite Du oner and Ticheie, hiv wife, ho become the fur get last iveeh ot niaivive proteitv m his counti i an Island nation vhei e aoueil is rampant ond civil unrest thi eotens Duvalier s i eign. The tallowing account Los by Angeles Times Writer Bella Stumbo while she wos in Poitau-P- i nice, Haiti, was wi then beloie the current crisis emei ged liy lid la Slumbo Los Angeles Times Writer scene inside the National Ialace is about vs bat would expect of a Third World dictatorship. It an armed fort, crawling with soldiers, the courtyard full of newly arrived crates of submachine guns, Uzis from Israel, still unpacked The i... i r white-on-whit- e Jean-Claud- 3mM ' Port-au-Princ- "... d common way of thinking, but my husband doesn't share that view, fortunately. that, she flashed him a melting smile, then shifted the conversation back to who had been sitting quietly, understanding little of the English being spoken, but watching his wife with an expression of utter trust. He had a couple of key grievances on his mind. He bitterly protests as both "discriminatory and unreasonable" the annual U.S. congressional certification process. tying foreign aid to Haitian progress in human rights and democracy. (As a result. Haiti receives less aid than any other Caribbean nation. $54 million this year: by comparison. Jamaica. for example, with only 2 million people and far fewer problems, received $158 million in 1984, compared with $44 million for Haiti.) "But we are grateful to President Reagan who also He understands that foropposes the certification, eign aid must not be tied to the political. It's easy for Congress to be liberal about Haiti, it doesnt cost them but their attitude is not healthy for developanything ment of this country, its not helping to improve education, public health, transportation, growth and to create jobs. It only hurts the poor people of Haiti. And, Duvalier would like Americans to at least tty to comprehend, he said, that Haiti is not ready for democracy as Westerners know it, primarily because of it's 80 percent illiteracy rate. Also, the people can be easily influenced. We must have stability to guard against what has happened in Nigaragua and Cuba. Duvalier and his ministers never miss an opportunity to remind of the communist menace 50 miles from their shores. It was one of the more disconcerting twists of this three-waconversation that, although Duvalier consistently speaks in a cautious, soft almost expressionless manner, his answers were being delivered through the lively, animated personality of his wife, who had a few thoughts of her own. I tell the president he should make me ambassador to the U.S. for six months, maybe I can make them understand! Its easy for Americans to say this is a corrupt, evil nation. . . You dont have to take care of so many poor people," she declared, with passion. There is so much work left to be done in Haiti, so much suffering here, so much need. "And, if the United States would stop trying to impose its own standards on us, in aid and politics, we could advance so much faster! Lately. Duvalier's regime has been going to unprecedented lengths, it seems, to shed some of Haitis tradition- - ... ... y . For Duvalier. it was an almost passionate appeal even raised his voice a decibel. ..." ' ?.r fyA . - ' v'y He Again, most Haitians attribute this new palate campaign for international sympathy and understanding not to any change in Duvalier's tiiinking but to the influence of his wife. "That's Michele's doing, not says a friend of the couple. "She understands the Washington-Wal- l Street mentality; he doesn't. Hes paranoid about foreigners, she's traveled all over the world." " And, Duvalier's face does tighten noticeably at the barest mention of his fathers notoriously bloody reputation. "It is unfair, is all he says. Later, a flicker of defensive pride in his tone, he also commented briefly that, although when he took over Haiti, he was he was only a teen-age- r not afraid, "because I had a very, very good teacher in my father." mv (Besides that, she points out, "Also, remember husband has lived in the palace since he was 5 years old.) her husband, Michele Duvalier is not only around reporters, she understands the benefits of good press. And so she was more than happy to spend a morning conducting a personal tour of one of the three hospitals her private foundation has built for the poor on the edge of a major slum. She arrived at the hospital in a new BMW with two young soldiers and a younger sister, who serves as her secretary. On this occasion, she had dressed for dignity. Her hair Manmolded into a sleek chignon, she wore a close-fittindarin dress of purple print silk, backless purple spikes, d and a small pair of earrings which probably cost more than an average Haitian earns in a decade. Unlike g diamond-and-ruby-studde- A gleaming, modern facility, the hospital's waiting room was packed with ragged, empty-eyemen, women and children. As she swept through the room, a butterfly of dazzling color and beauty suddenly in their midst, all rose; she waved them down with a flutter of her hand, continuing with brisk purpose from one ward to the next. the entire tour, she alterAs she walked, d chain-smokin- g nately discussed the hospital and herself. She attended a secretarial school in New York and I ( Death in the slums of Port-au-Princ- Haiti. e, it was absolute nonsense! I wore my ring and a pair of earrings at my wedding." But then, with a slight tilt of the chin, showing the pride inside, "Besides, how did they expect him to be married'.' He was a bachelor, the president: it was his first marriage. What the press never says is that the Haitian people love Jean Claude Duvalier. They did not want his wedding to be a simple affair! "Of course I spend money on clothes. How do they expect the first lady of Haiti to dress? I must look well. Bui it is not excessive. and I certainly don't spend millions on clothes. How could I wear them all? Besides, we are a poor country. I am not Marie Antoinette saying Let them eat cake.' " . . In fact, the whole cloud of rumors surrounding Duvalier spending sends Michele Duvalier into an torrent of denials. "It's so absurd, the lies they tell! When go to France, they say I bought two villas, when I go to California, they say I have bought a ranch." The actual source of Duvalier family finances, of course, remains a subject of gossip, generally involving allegations of skimming from the national treasury. Certainly Duvalier did not inherit much family wealth because his father was a middle-clas- s doctor before his coup. Michele Duvalier's affluent father, coffee exporter Ernest Bennett, on the other hand, has been accused so often of multiplying his wealth tenfold since his daughters fortuitous marriage that he sometimes produces' stacks of tax receipts to prove to reporters that he is not receiving favored treatment. (And he sounds like quite a fellow. "The House of Bennett has always flourished," he has boasted to reporters and. in another lively, memorable aside. "In coffee, only the strong survive." In an interesting aside. Bennett's son.' Franz, equally flamboyant in his own style, has been off and on. in Haiti and most recently in Puerto jaiic-Rico, foi trafficking in such drugs as heroin and cocaine any case, President Duvalier does not seem to be on cash. Every year, for example, he rewards a handful of select, factory workers with new homes, built, as his wife points out with pride, "with his own money-anevery year, the president gives those houses on the week of his birthday. July 11." she says blithely. And. they are allocated by virtue of the needs of the people. They only pay something like $5 a month in rent. And, although Michele Duvalier says her foundation is financed primarily through donations from wealthy Haitian friends, she also adds that, if she comes up short on a project. "My husband fills in for me. he gives me the money. The state gives me a donation." It was not clear whether the state "donation" and Duvalier's money were one and the same, or two different gifts She probably did not know herself Anticipating the cynicism, she laughed at it. "I know Americans will not wish to believe that, of course - not of the first lady of Haiti. Nonetheless it is so "I know I am compared to Evita Peron. perhaps it is fair, but make it clear to Americans that I visit my haspi tals. I sometimes check on them late at night, unan nounced. to see that no one is being slow or sleeping I am in charge of all supervisory luring, and I fire those who are incompetent." Her two bodyguards trailed along behind her during the tour and. occasionally, entering a sensitive ward, she would hand her cigarette to one ot them to hold until she emerged. On this tour at least. Michele Duvalier had certainly demonstrated that her foundation is more than an idle hobby. She was able lo explain ev ery piece of equipment every facility with familiarity and expertise, and she seemed to know every doctor, nurse and clerk by name Most did not even stand as she passed by But. asked how much this pat titular hospital had co-.to build, Duvalier looked momentarily conlu ed. then laughing lightly, said the predictable "Why. dmi't know My husband gave it lo me lor a Initial. tv pieseiit " exha-speratei- l, g 1 d ) I ,. ".' jobs. Our efforts must be doubled in every sector. Within the next 15 years, we must invest $500 million in the energy sector alone. That is just an example of our problems. So, far from being reduced, or even kept at present levels, foreign aid must be increased ." She I V' capital. The palace offices are decorated with the most expensive Haitian art and waiting rooms contain priceless antiques. e, With g I . & - I oi Angt'if, 1 ime. klinl statue honoring the fighters of the 1804 revolution adorns the the Haitian grounds of the National Palace in A On , ? : y sharp vigilance in the son's placid, half-saeyes. this particular day, Duvalier faced two with the outside world. First, he granted a ceremonial audience to oceanographer Jacques Cousteau, who had been filming Haiti's reefs. Then, for the first time in recent memory, he sat down with an American journalist to discuss his stewardship of this pathetic little country, home of 6 million of the poorest people on earth. Not surprisingly, he assumes the role of the misunderstood martyr, the caring and beneficent leader who knows the needs of his people and has done as much as humanly possible for them since he took power given the resources he had and the truly horrendous list of problems Haiti faces. "But the foreign press never reports our achievements, the progress we are making." he complained, only the negatives, the sensational. Haiti is good merchandise, it sells newspapers. But I hope history will judge me based on what my government is trying to do today, not on the past." Duvalier speaks softly, in a monotone as devoid of expression as his solemn face. Also, he speaks no English, only French, so his wife translates for him. And. in this scenario, it is Michele Duvalier, 32, who is by far the most interesting character. Beautiful, smart and vivacious, full of natural charm, she is so perfectly suited to to her role as first lady of Haiti, mate to a reclusive Third World dictator, that she might have been sent over by Central Casting. An urbane. American-educatedivorcee with two chil-- , dren when she married Duvalier five years ago and promptly produced two more heirs of Duvalier's own she is a woman who, on the one hand, would be another Eva Peron, building hospitals and schools for the poor, while, at the same time, lavishing time and money on her make-np- , coiffure, jewelry and clothes. For this visit, long hair flowing loosely over her shoulders. she wore simple lounging pajamas of bright orange shoes. silk; she favors backless, Duvalier's devotion to his wife is instantly evident to any stranger. About the only time his sober face softens, it seems, it is when he is discussing her. It was due to her encouragement, he said with a shy smile, eyes lighting with devotion and pride, that he was able to lose so much weight. Now, in turn, he is nagging her about her heavy cigarette habit. And. certainly. Michele Duvalier's influence over her husband is beyond dispute. It was due only to her persua- sion, in fact, that Duvalier was even sitting here, enduring this encounter with a foreign reporter. did it with breathtaking ease. too. just a few soft in French, a gentle tug at his hand, and sat Indeed, among the Haitian elite, who feed on palace gossip, the extent of Michele Duvalier's power is a subject of running debate. She sits in on Cabinet meetings, chastises ministers who displease her and allegedly extracts sizable donations for her hospital foundation from various ministries, who dare not refuse. Some think she may actually be running Haiti today, and nearly everyone is convinced that she is at least an equal partner, with more influence over Duvalier than any minister. Another favorite tidbit of palace gossip, still juicy five years later (and yet another example of the sometimes bizarre nepotism of Haitian government), concerns the reportedly violent opposition of Duvalier's mother, Simone. to having the former Michele Bennett in the family. The daughter of a wealthy coffee grower. Michele Duvalier is not only a mulatto and a divorcee, but also the of Alix Pasquct, who led an aborformer daughter-in-lative coup in 1958 against Papa Doe. (He was killed in the battle outside the palace "So. what you have now is. I think, very amusing." said one wealthy Haitian dowager, relishing the tale. "In the palace are (our children, and the grandfather ot two of them tried to murder the grandfather of the other two " a ear dealer, still lives here (The first lady's and regularly picks up his two sons at the Palace on weekends. Since the marriage. Simone Duvalier. whose otficial title is guardian of the revolution, has apparently been edged almost completely out of the palace picture by her ami spends most ol her lime in Pans. dauglit (Duvalier's ambitious older sister. Mane Denise, lias also vanished from the palace scene.) Michele Duvalier is no reticent Rnsalyn Cal ler or Nan-v Hengun when it comes to describing her own role "Ol course, my husband and I are partners." she says freely "lie asks me to attend the Cabinet meetings and so I do Ol ionise, am mainly mteiesied in health, educaleave the politics lo my Itus tion and social piograms " band And think he does ciy well Then. "W liv should a w email tint p,n Impale ill guv el n meut if her husband is president" My lather Warned me tlic slereol vpc pi et v be e. empty lie.ol It is the spike-heele- fcr r ui half-sleep- . t - e would like to bolt. It is fitting that Duvalier's subjects have nicknamed him "Baby Doc." There is in his round, somber face noth- ing of the angular steeliness of the father, one of this century's most notorious dictators, none of Papa Docs . I,- i5 Offices are decorated with the most expensive Haitian art, waiting rooms are opulent concoctions of full of priceless antiques and luxurious sofas adorned with dozens of perfectly matched African elephant tusks Enter, His Excellency, I'resident-for-LifOuvalier, 33. Looking every bit the plump, provincial island king in his crisp tan safari suit, he is no surprise either. An unworldly, obese when he inherited the nation in 1971 from his father Francois "Papa Doe." Duva-lie- r has been a virtual prisoner in Haiti ever since, not daring to leave the island even briefly, either on vacation or state business, for fear of a palace coup. Unlike most members of the Haitian elite. Duvalier was not sent abroad for his education either; his view of the world derives strictly from television, books and conversations with others His own small universe consists of occasional trips, amid a small army of bodyguards, to either his beach house or his mountain home, neither more than 20 miles from the palace. He rarely makes a public appearance, remains isolated behind a tight little clique of influential ministers, and has almost no contact with other national leaders. Accordingly, stepping into a roomful of strangers, Duvalier seems shy, a little dazed, as if he still is not quite certain, 14 years later, precisely what it is that he is supposed to say and do. He hesitates uncertainly on the threshold, then approaches with stiff reserve, offers a tentative handshake, for pictures and looks as if he poses ' --- -. ?.-- u i En d Duvalier has lived in the National Palace since he was 5. President-for-lif- e Jean-Claud- e ally sinister image and bring it into the company of respectable nations. Not long ago, Duvalier even hired a handful of American public relations companies, at a rumored cost of around $7 million, to help Haiti improve its international reputation. not only is Duvalier himself talking to the most of his ministers have recently been more than previously. Two months ago. Duvalier even replaced the notorious hard-line- r who was his minister of interior and national defense with the far more mellow, public relations-mind-cFranois Guilluame. former DAS ambassador, who sal behind his desk, garrulously proclaiming: And, "My dour is open, we have nothing to hide. I would he pleased if Americans would come here tu see lor thems selves the true situation in Haiti, that there are no Ton-ton- Macoutes the Haitian special police shooting people in the streets" (Guilluame, however, barely lasted a month, as it turned out; Information Minister Jean-Mant'benois, 41. said to be the most influential member ol Duvaliers Cabinet, recently gol his job. Turnover is high in the Duvalier inner circle e ) "We want people to try to understand our history, we are weak, we are poor, it has been the same si ' ' independence." said Duvalier "We hope the Amerie; public will at least give us some credit for trying to build a new system because we need investments here to create more 32, wields more influence than Haiti's Cabinet ministers. First lady Michele Duvalier, lived there several years. "I did not complete college." she said, without a hint of defensiveness. Indeed, nothing about Michele Duvalier suggests She seems totally at ease with herself and the world around her, traced with a likeable, lighthearted cynicism that skeptics will not take her seriously. She talks at a quick, spontaneous, crowded pace, occasionally letting drop a thoughtless line, or a flash of high pride. And. when it comes to money matters, she is sometimes a classic example of the imperially naive dictator s wile At the moment, her thoughts were on other first ladies, herself, and clothes "The American press is so cruel to first ladies, she said, cheerfully exasperated. "I no longer believe anything they said about Jackie Kennedy's clothing budget, because now they sav ol me. that I spend millions on clothes, too Then the press criticized Rosalyn Carter bec ause she didn't know how to dress. And now they criticize Mrs Reagan because she admire Mrs Reagan. She is does know how to dress husband, and it touches me. her close lo obviously very And she is very elegant, although she is very old Her mind skipped to press coverage of her wedding lo Duvalier. a pah ce basil replete with imported (lowers and exotic edibles that cost an estimated $2 million "They wrote that I was coveied in jewels head to foot w hen I w ,is m. ii i ied. that my dt ess w as all diamonds And 1 S t I dule, I ask |
