Michèle Bennett
Encyclopedia
Michèle Bennett is the ex-wife of former President for Life of Haiti, Jean-Claude (Baby Doc) Duvalier
. From 1980 to 1986 she was the First Lady of Haiti
. She fled to exile in France with her deposed husband aboard a U.S. Air Force plane and has remained there since. She was divorced from Duvalier in 1990.
, King of Haiti) and Aurore Ligonde. Her uncle was Haiti's Roman Catholic Archbishop Monsignor François-Wolff Ligondé.
She was educated at St. Mary's School in Peekskill, New York
, USA, and worked as a secretary in the garment district
in New York City. In 1973 she married Alix Pasquet, the son of Captain Alix Pasquet, a well-known mulatto
officer who in 1958 led a coup attempt against Papa Doc Duvalier. By Pasquet she had two children, Alix Jr. and Sacha. After her 1978 divorce from Pasquet she worked in public relations for Habitation LeClerc, an upscale hotel in Port-au-Prince
.
in 1980. Their wedding, Haiti’s social event of the decade, cost an unprecedented US$3 million. Fireworks for the ceremony alone cost US$100,000. Mrs. Duvalier at first endeared herself to the population by distributing clothes and food to the needy and opening several medical clinics, but she soon became famous for her cruelty, rapacity and enthusiastic shopping. The Duvaliers had two children, Francois Nicolas and Anya.
The marriage resulted in her husband’s mother, Simone Duvalier, being sidelined politically and created new factional alliances within the ruling group. The million-dollar wedding would be remembered as the young dictator’s symbolic alliance with the mulatto elite — the very families Jean-Claude’s father had decimated. Papa Doc’s widow had been opposed to the match, and in this she was joined by almost all of the “dinosaurs”, the Duvalierist Old Guard. Haitians feared the new First Lady because her power appeared to exceed her husband’s. While Jean-Claude often dozed through Cabinet meetings, his wife, frustrated at his political ineptitude, reprimanded ministers herself.
dealership, to his coffee
and cocoa export concerns, to the tiny but surprisingly lucrative Air Haiti
, in whose planes Bennett was rumored to be transporting drugs. In 1982, Frantz Bennett, Michèle's brother, was arrested in Puerto Rico
for drug trafficking, and began a three-year jail term.
Mrs. Duvalier's family amassed wealth at an unprecedented rate during the later part of Jean Claude's dictatorship. By the end of his fifteen-year rule, Duvalier and his wife had become famous for their corruption. The National Palace became the scene of opulent costume parties, where the young President once appeared dressed as a Turkish
sultan
to dole out ten-thousand-dollar jewels as door prizes, while the homeless were encouraged to watch the festivities on televisions that had been set up in the parks where they slept.
The simultaneous deterioration in the quality of life of most Haitians prompted Pope John Paul II
to declare in a speech in Haiti in 1983 that "things must change here," Popular uprising against the regime began soon after that. Duvalier responded with a 10 percent cut in staple food prices, the closing of independent radio stations, a cabinet reshuffle, and a crackdown by police and army units, but these moves failed to dampen the momentum of the popular uprising. Jean-Claude's wife and advisers urged him to put down the rebellion to remain in office. On February 7, 1986, The Duvaliers left the country in an American plane accompanied by 19 other people.
The governments of Greece
, Spain
, Switzerland
, Gabon
and Morocco
all refused the Duvalier family's requests for asylum. France
agreed to give the Duvaliers temporary entry but also denied them asylum. As part of an investigation into looting allegations, authorities raided the villa Jean-Claude and Michele Duvalier rented in Mougins
shortly after they arrived in Europe. The authorities found Mrs. Duvalier trying to flush a notebook down the toilet. It logged astronomical spending—US$168,780 for clothes at Givenchy
, US$270,200 for jewellery at Boucheron
, US$9,752 for two children's horse saddles at Hermès
, US$68,500 for a clock, US$13,000 for a week's stay at a Paris hotel.
In 1990, the former first lady was divorced from Duvalier. The former dictator filed for divorce in the Dominican Republic
, accusing his wife of immoral acts. Mrs. Duvalier contested the decision, flying to the Dominican Republic to obtain a reversal before her husband prevailed in a third court. Mrs. Duvalier was at the time living with another man in Cannes
; she was awarded alimony and child support.
In 2010, she flew to Haiti with a search-and-rescue team to look for her brother Rudy Bennett in the rubble of the Montana Hotel, where he had gone to fix an espresso machine leased from his food company. Her brother's death got little notice in Haiti. The former first lady returned to the site a year later for a commemoration ceremony.
She lives in France, where she now uses her maiden name.
Jean-Claude Duvalier
Jean-Claude Duvalier, nicknamed "Bébé Doc" or "Baby Doc" was the President of Haiti from 1971 until his overthrow by a popular uprising in 1986. He succeeded his father, François "Papa Doc" Duvalier, as the ruler of Haiti upon his father's death in 1971...
. From 1980 to 1986 she was the First Lady of Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
. She fled to exile in France with her deposed husband aboard a U.S. Air Force plane and has remained there since. She was divorced from Duvalier in 1990.
Early life
Michèle Bennett was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, in 1950, the daughter of Ernest Bennett, a Haitian businessman (and descendant of Henri ChristopheHenri Christophe
Henri Christophe was a key leader in the Haitian Revolution, winning independence from France in 1804. On 17 February 1807, after the creation of a separate nation in the north, Christophe was elected President of the State of Haiti...
, King of Haiti) and Aurore Ligonde. Her uncle was Haiti's Roman Catholic Archbishop Monsignor François-Wolff Ligondé.
She was educated at St. Mary's School in Peekskill, New York
Peekskill, New York
Peekskill is a city in Westchester County, New York. It is situated on a bay along the east side of the Hudson River, across from Jones Point.This community was known to be an early American industrial center, primarily for its iron plow and stove products...
, USA, and worked as a secretary in the garment district
Garment District, Manhattan
The Garment District, also known as the Garment Center, the Fashion District, or the Fashion Center, is a neighborhood located in the Manhattan borough of New York City. The dense concentration of fashion-related uses give the neighborhood, which is generally considered to span between Fifth Avenue...
in New York City. In 1973 she married Alix Pasquet, the son of Captain Alix Pasquet, a well-known mulatto
Mulatto
Mulatto denotes a person with one white parent and one black parent, or more broadly, a person of mixed black and white ancestry. Contemporary usage of the term varies greatly, and the broader sense of the term makes its application rather subjective, as not all people of mixed white and black...
officer who in 1958 led a coup attempt against Papa Doc Duvalier. By Pasquet she had two children, Alix Jr. and Sacha. After her 1978 divorce from Pasquet she worked in public relations for Habitation LeClerc, an upscale hotel in Port-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince is the capital and largest city of the Caribbean nation of Haiti. The city's population was 704,776 as of the 2003 census, and was officially estimated to have reached 897,859 in 2009....
.
Marriage
She married President DuvalierJean-Claude Duvalier
Jean-Claude Duvalier, nicknamed "Bébé Doc" or "Baby Doc" was the President of Haiti from 1971 until his overthrow by a popular uprising in 1986. He succeeded his father, François "Papa Doc" Duvalier, as the ruler of Haiti upon his father's death in 1971...
in 1980. Their wedding, Haiti’s social event of the decade, cost an unprecedented US$3 million. Fireworks for the ceremony alone cost US$100,000. Mrs. Duvalier at first endeared herself to the population by distributing clothes and food to the needy and opening several medical clinics, but she soon became famous for her cruelty, rapacity and enthusiastic shopping. The Duvaliers had two children, Francois Nicolas and Anya.
The marriage resulted in her husband’s mother, Simone Duvalier, being sidelined politically and created new factional alliances within the ruling group. The million-dollar wedding would be remembered as the young dictator’s symbolic alliance with the mulatto elite — the very families Jean-Claude’s father had decimated. Papa Doc’s widow had been opposed to the match, and in this she was joined by almost all of the “dinosaurs”, the Duvalierist Old Guard. Haitians feared the new First Lady because her power appeared to exceed her husband’s. While Jean-Claude often dozed through Cabinet meetings, his wife, frustrated at his political ineptitude, reprimanded ministers herself.
Controversy
After the marriage, Michèle's father, Ernest Bennett, took advantage of his presidential connection to extend his interests into almost every sector of the economy, from his BMWBMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
dealership, to his coffee
Coffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
and cocoa export concerns, to the tiny but surprisingly lucrative Air Haiti
Air Haïti
Air Haïti was an airline based in Haiti.For a few years, Air Haïti's C-46 Commandos were a common site at airport such as San Juan, Puerto Rico and Miami International. The airline operated from 1969 until 1982, when it ceased operations....
, in whose planes Bennett was rumored to be transporting drugs. In 1982, Frantz Bennett, Michèle's brother, was arrested in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
for drug trafficking, and began a three-year jail term.
Mrs. Duvalier's family amassed wealth at an unprecedented rate during the later part of Jean Claude's dictatorship. By the end of his fifteen-year rule, Duvalier and his wife had become famous for their corruption. The National Palace became the scene of opulent costume parties, where the young President once appeared dressed as a Turkish
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
sultan
Sultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
to dole out ten-thousand-dollar jewels as door prizes, while the homeless were encouraged to watch the festivities on televisions that had been set up in the parks where they slept.
The simultaneous deterioration in the quality of life of most Haitians prompted Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
to declare in a speech in Haiti in 1983 that "things must change here," Popular uprising against the regime began soon after that. Duvalier responded with a 10 percent cut in staple food prices, the closing of independent radio stations, a cabinet reshuffle, and a crackdown by police and army units, but these moves failed to dampen the momentum of the popular uprising. Jean-Claude's wife and advisers urged him to put down the rebellion to remain in office. On February 7, 1986, The Duvaliers left the country in an American plane accompanied by 19 other people.
Exile
The governments of Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, Gabon
Gabon
Gabon , officially the Gabonese Republic is a state in west central Africa sharing borders with Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, and with the Republic of the Congo curving around the east and south. The Gulf of Guinea, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean is to the west...
and Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
all refused the Duvalier family's requests for asylum. France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
agreed to give the Duvaliers temporary entry but also denied them asylum. As part of an investigation into looting allegations, authorities raided the villa Jean-Claude and Michele Duvalier rented in Mougins
Mougins
Mougins is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.It is located on the heights of Cannes, in the district of Grasse. Mougins is a 15-minute drive from Cannes. The village is surrounded by forests, such as the Valmasque forest...
shortly after they arrived in Europe. The authorities found Mrs. Duvalier trying to flush a notebook down the toilet. It logged astronomical spending—US$168,780 for clothes at Givenchy
Givenchy
Givenchy is a French brand of clothing, accessories, perfumes and cosmetics with Parfums Givenchy.The house of Givenchy was founded in 1952 by designer Hubert de Givenchy and is a member of Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture et du Pret-a-Porter...
, US$270,200 for jewellery at Boucheron
Boucheron
Boucheron is a French jewellery house.-History:The House of Boucheron is a French family dynasty founded by Frederic Boucheron in 1858....
, US$9,752 for two children's horse saddles at Hermès
Hermès
Hermès International S.A., or simply Hermès is a French high fashion house established in 1837, today specializing in leather, lifestyle accessories, perfumery, luxury goods, and ready-to-wear...
, US$68,500 for a clock, US$13,000 for a week's stay at a Paris hotel.
In 1990, the former first lady was divorced from Duvalier. The former dictator filed for divorce in the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
, accusing his wife of immoral acts. Mrs. Duvalier contested the decision, flying to the Dominican Republic to obtain a reversal before her husband prevailed in a third court. Mrs. Duvalier was at the time living with another man in Cannes
Cannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
; she was awarded alimony and child support.
In 2010, she flew to Haiti with a search-and-rescue team to look for her brother Rudy Bennett in the rubble of the Montana Hotel, where he had gone to fix an espresso machine leased from his food company. Her brother's death got little notice in Haiti. The former first lady returned to the site a year later for a commemoration ceremony.
She lives in France, where she now uses her maiden name.