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March 6, 2011
Haitian Winter, Part 4: The Duvalier Legacy: The Ghosts of Fort Dimanche
By Mac McKinney
In Part 4 of my series, we visit the ghosts from the violent past of Haiti in the ruins of the torture center of the Duvalier dynasty, infamous Fort Dimanche.
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On February 4th independent journalist Georgianne Nienaber and I flew into Haiti for a five day whirlwind investigative tour facilitated by our driver and "fixer", Andre Paultre, a journalist's best friend in Haiti. This is the fourth piece in my series, "Haitian Winter"."This was the Duvaliers' torture chamber. This was their own hell they created," said Robert Duval, one of the few who made it out of here alive. (source)Duval indeed was victorious, for he DID survive and is now speaking out to prevent any return to the ghosts of the past, to the Duvaliest system of fear and macabre horror that is now again symbolized in the person of Jean-Claude Duvalier.
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"The horror is that I was in prison under Jean-Claude Duvalier's regime" In 1976, they came, entered my office and brought me to the Casernes Dessalines [army barracks]. I spent 17 months there. Then, under false charges, they condemned me and sent me to Fort Dimanche," he recalled.Duval spent 18 months in what the inmates there called "the human hell". No formal charges were ever filed, he said, the torturers alone decided his guilt.
"And they sent you to Fort Dimanche for you then to disappear. Because when you are sent to Fort Dimanche, it's like you are condemned to death"and every day two or three people died," he said. (source)
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As a child, he (Duval) remembers watching live executions on television, schoolchildren being made to go to the national stadium to watch as a firing squad pumped bullets into opposition activists, and of how they were indoctrinated into making the sign of the cross while chanting: "Au nom du pere, du fils, et Duvalier, Amen" - "In the name of the Father, the Son, and Duvalier. Amen." .....He was never told why he was arrested himself at the age of 22, other than that he "probably rubbed people up the wrong way" with pro-democracy talk."I found myself in a 13 ft by 14 ft cell with 40 other men, day in, day out, never seeing the sun. People died, two or three every day. Sometimes we kept the body in the cell to get the extra ration of food until the body would start smelling too bad. Then we'd call 'Death' and they'd take the body away in a wheelbarrow," he recalled.
Food was scant and his weight sank to 90 pounds. "My eyes were down to here," he said, pointing to the bottom of his face."Some people died because they became crazy. In Fort Dimanche, you had to be very sharp mentally to survive. You would say to yourself that surviving is a victory against the regime." (source)
Abelard Ezéchiel, Journalist: Died in Fort Dimanche in September 1976 in cell #6.
Alexandre, Jean Claude: From Jérémie, teacher, died in July 1975 in Fort-Dimanche Alexandre Jean-Claude (alias Blanco) - Died in Fort Dimanche in 1976.
André, Marcus: Born of a French mother and an American father. Employed by Pan Am Airways. Arrested December 19, 1971. Questioned by Colonel Breton Claude, and Captain Emmanuel Orcel. Sent to Fort Dimanche where he spent 2 years. Brought back to Casernes Dessalines for some medical attention. A month later sent back again to Fort-Dimanche, where he died on February 25, 1975
Anibot, Masséna: Peasant from Archaie. Died in August 1976 in Fort-Dimanche
Archadé, Robert: From Archaie, Died in 1975 in cell 7 (source)
Valentin, Josmat: Among the 19 officers executed by Duvalier in Fort Dimanche in 1967.
Vassseau, Rifla: FD Vaval Guy - He was married to Colonel Jean Thomas' sister. Spent more than 5 years in Fort Dimanche - Released in December 1976 but he did not survive long after.
Victomé, Théophile: ( Blanc) From Casale. He was sixteen or seventeen years old when he was arrested. He spent close to five years in Fort-Dimannche, cell #5. Sick he requested medical assistance from the prison's guardians for months but he never received even an aspirin. He died on January 2, 1975.
Vital, Pierre Michel: Born in Jeremie - Arrested in Port au Prince where he was studying. Interrogated and accused of being a communist by General Breton Claude and Emmanuel Orcel. He was sent to Fort Dimanche to die but he was released a couple years later. He went straight back to his home town to isolate himself. But shortly after he was once more arrested, interrogated by the same officers who sent him once more to Fort Dimanche. Pierre Michel fought until the last minute, hoping to get out alive, but he died in February 1976 in cell #6. (source)
Gaetjens, Joe: Football player, Internationally famous. Disappeared in 1964. Died in Fort-Dimanche (source)
After the visit of the Special Commission, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights sent the Government a note on September 11, 1978, with the following list of 151 individuals who, according to the allegations of accusers, were executed in the mid-70s while in prison or who died in prison because of lack of medical care.Inter-American Commission on Human Rights List of dead prisoners at Fort Dimanche.
AUGUSTERE cell 1, Plaine du Cul de Sac, poet, journalist, arrested in January 1971, released in December 1972, re-arrested in January 1973, died in 1975 of diarrhea.
Joseph ALEXANDRE cell 3, known as Djo Malanca, Port-au-Prince, died on November 1, 1975, of physical weakness and mental illness.
Gérard AUGUSTIN cell 1, St. Marc, 53 years old, sociologist, imprisoned 3 times, died on September 19 at 4:00 p.m. of tuberculosis.
Marcus ANDRE cell 7, Jérémie, professor, died in 1975 of diarrhea.
Jean-Claude ALEXANDRE cell 7, Jérémie, professor, died in 1975 of diarrhea.
Ezéchiel ABELARD cell 6, died in September 1976 of tuberculosis.
Massena ANIBOT cell 8, died in August 1976 of tuberculosis and malnutrition, a peasant from l'Arcahaie.
Robert ACHADE cell 7, Arcahaie, died in 1975.
Joseph BRIOLLI cell 4, Port-au-Prince, a former macoute, died in 1976 of diarrhea and tuberculosis.
Jean-Robert BELLEVUE cell 1, Plaine du Cul de Sac, professor of history, died in August 1975 of tuberculosis.
Georges BISRETE cell 2, Fond des Blancs, speculator, died in February 1976 of rheumatism and tuberculosis.
André BIEN-AIME cell 3, Cayes, worked in the Chamber of Deputies, died in July 1976 of malnutrition.
Renel BAPTISTE cell 7, Jacmel, lived in the Dominican Republic, worked in Africa on filming The Comedians, died on July 19, 1974 of tuberculosis.
Fred BAPTISTE cell 1, Jacmel, died on June 16, 1974 of tuberculosis and mental illness.
Justin BERTRAND cell 5, Port-au-Prince, a former macoute chief, died on August 26, 1975 of tuberculosis and diarrhea.
Ronel BERTRAND cell 2, Port-au-Prince, a former macoute chief, died in February 1976 of rheumatism and tuberculosis.
Paul BLANC cell 4, husband of the deputy Madame Paul Blanc, died in July 1976 of diarrhea.
Kesner BLAIN cell 3, Port-au-Prince, ex-colonel, died on February 1, 1976 of tuberculosis.
Fritz BAUDET cell 3, Port-au-Prince, coastguard, died in July 1975 of tuberculosis.
Noly BURON cell, sailor, died in 1976 of tuberculosis.
Jean-Claude BOUCICAUT cell 4, Port-au-Prince, former macoute, died in January 19, of tuberculosis.Hora BATISTAIN cell 3, tin-smith, died in February 1973 of typhoid.
Julien BANO cell 1, Arcahaie, died in 1975 of diarrhea.
Henri BAFARD cell 4, Thiotte region, died in January 1973.
A small child wandered into the prsion courtyard while I was standing there. What thoughts might be going through his mind in this squalid, death-imbued environment?
A worried look crosses his face.From within a cell, looking up and out at the world. Note that concrete blocks were routinely placed against cell windows to all but shut out the light and fresh air when the cells were in actual use.
The Commission also stated:
The government has stressed in various occasions, including during the visit of the Special Commission that Fort-Dimanche was closed in 1977 by order of President Jean-Claude Duvalier. However, the Commission has received repeated denunciations to the effect that not all of Fort-Dimanche was closed, but rather only the area of collective cells, called "Nirvana." The Commission has even received testimony that certain construction has taken place at Fort-Dimanche, which has increased the number of solitary cells, among other changes. (ibid.)
Inside the corridors again.
Sifra CESAR cell 8, died in 1972 of tuberculosis.Daul COMPERE* executed on August 7, 1974.
Muscadet CAJUSTE cell 8, former corporal in the Police Department, died in 1976 of tuberculosis.
León CHERY cell 2, Cayes, an old man in his sixties, died on December 10, 1976 of physical weakness.
Gilbert CADOSTIN cell 2, chauffeur, died on October 2, 1976, of tuberculosis.
Camille CEBASTIEN cell 1, Port-au-Prince, pharmacist, owner of the Pharmacie de Lion, died in 1976 of lung congestion.
Jean Roland CELESTIN cell 1, Port-au-Prince, topographer, died in 1975 of typhoid and tuberculosis.
Paul DONNEUR cell 7, Port-au-Prince, artisan, died in 1976 of diarrhea.
Ambroise DESRAVINES cell 7, Port-au-Prince, artisan, died in 1976 of diarrhea.
Serge DE RUISSEAU cell 3, Arcahaie, student, died in 1976 of tuberculosis.
Murat DARELUS cell 1, Pétion-Ville, carpenter, died in February 1975.
Kernisan DUPONT National Penitentiary, Méyotte, Pétion-Ville, workman, died in 1975 of liver disease.
Ronald DUCHEMIN* executed in March 1976.
Guelo DACCUEIL cell 3, Arcahaie, peasant, 48 years old, died in 1976 of tuberculosis.
Horace DACCUEIL cell 7, Arcahaie, peasant, brother of Guelo, died in 1976 of diarrhea.
Fritz DUGASON cell 5, Jérémie, mechanic, died on June 2, 1975 of tuberculosis.
Clothaire DORNEVAL cell 5, Arcahaie, died on January 24, 1976 of hypertension.
Raphael DELVA cell 1, Gonaives, died in June 1976 of tuberculosis.
Jean-Claude DUVAL cell 9, worked at Alpha, died on December 5, 1975 of tuberculosis and physical weakness.
Ovèz DUQUESNE died in August 1976.
Thomas DOMINIQUE cell 6, Plaine du Cul de Sac, chauffeur, died in July 1976 of tuberculosis.
Cadeau Jean DERISIE cell 1, Nan Bannanan, section chief, died in July 1976 of tuberculosis.
Arche DENIS cell 1, Port-au-Prince, son of Lorimer Denis (co-author with François Duvalier of a number of books), former spy who made his reports directly to Duvalier, arrested by Luc Désir after the death of François Duvalier, died in 1976 of typhoid.
Vénèque DUCALIRON National Penitentiary, died in 1973.
Serge DONATIEN cell 1, Artibonite, arrested in February 1975, 25 years old, died in March 1976 of diarrhea.
DATO, cell 1, section chief of Thiotte, died in 1976.
Jacques DELILLE died in 1975. (ibid.)
Servilus EXANTUS cell 7, Cul de Sac, attorney, professor, released in 1972, arrested again in January 1973, died in July 1976 of tuberculosis.Ponax EXANTUS cell 8, Arcahaie, student, died in 1975 of tuberculosis.
Rameau ESTIME cell 1, deputy, Duvalier supporter from the first, died on May 13, 1976 of diarrhea and malnutrition.
Wilterm ESTIME cell 5, died in 1976.
Gesulmé EUGENE cell 1, Plaine du Cul de Sac, teacher, released in 1972, arrested again in 1973, died in 1976 of tuberculosis.
EXANTE cell 2, Arcahaie, died in 1976.
Francis FILS-AIME cell 1, Fort-Liberté, former léopard, died in 1976 of tuberculosis.
Pierre FREQUIERE cell 2, Port-au-Prince (Delmas), workman, died in 1976 of tuberculosis.
René FRANEX* executed on August 7, 1974.
Marie-Thérese FEVAL* executed on August 7, 1974.
Rikitt FLORESTAL* executed on August 7, 1974.
Marcel GUERRIER cell 5, Plaine du Cul de Sac, died on October 6, 1975 of tuberculosis.
Marie Thérese GASNER cell 10, died in 1976 of tuberculosis.
Pierre GUERRIER died in 1976.(ibid.)
Jean HORNER Duvalierville, coastguard, died in 1975.Fritz ICARD cell 2, Miragoane, died on November 13, 1975 of mental illness.
Gérard JOSEPH cell 7, known as Ibert Jn. Baptiste, Gonaives, arrested on July 3, 1973, Place Ste. Anne, died in 1975 of tuberculosis.
Dagobert JEAN cell 2, Hinche, former léopard, died in April 1976 of pleurisy.
Théocel JEAN died in April 1976 in the National Penitentiary.
Ricot JUNIOR died in August 1975 in the National Penitentiary.
Pierre JEAN* known as D'Haiti, executed in March 1976.
Maurice JEAN BAPTISTE cell 1, Jacmel, died on December 4, 1976 of diarrhea.
Samson JEAN-BAPTISTE* executed on August 7, 1974.
Antonio JEAN-BAPTISTE CELL 3, Jérémie, typographer, worked in the State Printing Office, died in 1976 of tuberculosis.
Lucio JULES cell 3, Jérémie, died on October 10, 1976 of typhoid.
Alius JOLIMO cell 3, Plaine du Cul de Sac, peasant, died in 1975 of pleurisy.
Vergnaut JOSEPH cell 6, attorney, and old man of 60 years of age, died in 1976 of physical weakness.
Morency JEAN cell 3, Marchand, peasant, died in 1977 of tuberculosis.
Franck JASSIN cell 7, Port-au-Prince (Section Sou Dalle), teacher, died in 1976 of tuberculosis.
Lession JOSEPH cell 6, Arcahaie, hougan (voodoo priest), died in 1975 of tuberculosis.
Saint-Vilus JEAN PIERRE cell 5, Plaine du Cul de Sac, peasant, died on March 10 of infectious diarrhea and pulmonary tuberculosis.
Antoine JEAN NOEL cell 3, Quanaminthe, died on February 1974 of malaria and physical weakness.
Resius JEAN BAPTISTE cell 1, Pétion-Ville, died in February 1975, constipated for 22 days.
Emmanuel JEAN POIS cell 1, Croix des Bouquets, shopkeeper, died in 1975 of tuberculosis.
Henri JEAN cell 4, Port-au-Prince, died in 1976 of tuberculosis.
Oswald JULES Verrettes, Assistant Government Commissioner, died in 1976. (ibid.)
Chery LOUISSAINT cell 8, Arcahaie, student, died in 1976 of tuberculosis.Marcel LAFORET cell 8, Jérémie, agronomist, living in St. Marc, producer of "Niko", "clairin" (local rum drink), died in July 1975 of tuberculosis and mental illness.
Pierre LAURENT cell 8, Port-au-Prince, tailor, arrested after the Gaillard affair, died in 1975 of tuberculosis.
Hubert LEGROS cell 6, Port-au-Prince, died on December 19, 1975 at 5:00 a.m. of diarrhea and tuberculosis.
Loner LIVERT cell 5, Port-Ã -Piment, student, died on July 19, 1976 of tuberculosis.
Rodrigue LAFORTUNE cell 5, Plaine du Cul de Sac, peasant, died on November 18, 1975 of tuberculosis.
Ives MUZAC cell 1, Jacmel, student, died in June 1976 of tuberculosis.
Gérard MICHEL died in 1975.
MERCERON cell 7, known as Guantanamo, Port-au-Prince, sailor, died in 1976 of tuberculosis.
MENELAS cell 8, known under the name of Aysi, Plaine du Cul de Sac, brought up in the Dominican Republic, former jailer in the Great Prison, involved with Kesner Blain, died in 1976 of tuberculosis.
Cheres Louis MAX cell 2, Plaine du Cul de Sac, peasant, died in October 1975 of tuberculosis.
Louis NOEL cell 6, Quanaminthe, died in 1976 of a liver ailment.
Jean NAPOLEON Croix des Bouquets, died in December 1972.
Jean Marc NERESTAN cell 3, Port-Ã -Piment, tailor, died in 1976 of tuberculosis.
Semonvil OSIAS cell 2, Cap-Haitien, attorney, died in June 1975.
Cambrone OBANO cell 8, Arcahaie, died in July 1976 of diarrhea.
Charles OCTA Arcahaie, died in 1975 of diarrhea.
Salma PIERRE-PAUL cell 3, St. Marc, lawyer, professor, died on September 17 of tuberculosis.
PIPIRITE cell 3, Barradère, died in 1976 of diarrhea.
Charles PIERRE* executed on August 7, 1974.
Darty PHILIPPE cell 3, Limbé, died in November 1973 of tuberculosis.
Oveny PAUL* executed on August 7, 1974.
Luc PIERRE-PAUL cell 2, Port-au-Prince, accountant working with an English insurance company, died in July 1976, suffering from mental illness.
Jacques PAUL cell 8, Port-au-Prince, son of Paulette Sicot, died in 1976 of tuberculosis.
Lubin PIERRE-LOUIS cell 5, Arcahaie, died on November 1, 1975 of physical weakness.
Edouard PIERRE arrested in 1974, died in 1975.
Eddy PRICE died in March 1976.
Des PREDESTANT* executed in August 1974.
Jean-Claude PHANOR cell 2, former léopard, died on May 3, 1976.
Ronald PERARD* executed in August 1974. (ibid.)
Bertrand RAYMOND cell 1, known as Ti Baron, Plaine du Cul de Sac, professor, died in 1975 of tuberculosis.Jean-Louis ROY* executed in March 1976.
Jean ROBERT cell 6, alias Derecul, Arcahaie, coastguard, died in 1976 of tuberculosis.
Timothé ROSSINI cell 6, mason, Arcahaie (Carrefour Pois), died in 1975 of diarrhea.
RAOUL cell 4, former detective, militia-man, died in 1976 of tuberculosis.
ROMEL cell 7, died in 1975 of tuberculosis.
Annouce REBECCA cell 3, Cavaillon, former militia-man, died on October 10, 1972 of tuberculosis.
REYNOLD companion of Dagobert Jean (former léopard), died in October 1976.
Jilmiste SYLVESTRE cell", shoemaker, Port-au-Prince, died on November 1, 1976 of tuberculosis.
Thelismon SALADIN cell 1, La Tremblay, peasant, died on December 31, 1976.
Raymond SAINT-LOUIS died on September 11, 1976 of tuberculosis.
John SOUFFRANT* executed on August 7, 1974.
Georges ST. MERZIER cell 4, Jérémie, scrap merchant, died in 1976 of tuberculosis.
Jean-Claude ST. LOUIS cell 7, Port-au-Prince, died on November 13, 1975 of tuberculosis.
Luc ST. VIL cell 5, Fort-Liberté, former léopard, died in September 1976 of tuberculosis.
Gasner SIMEON cell 7, sailor en route to Nassau, ran aground at Guantanamo, handed over to the Haitian government by an American boat, died in 1976 of tuberculosis.
SANTIAGUE cell 7, Arcahaie, former sergeant, died in October 1976 of diarrhea.
Jacques ST. AMAND (ibid.)
Reynold TIMOLEON* executed on August 7, 1974.Alix THOMAS* executed on August 7, 1974.
Clarel TERVIL* executed in March 1976.
TINTIN cell 9, Limbé, died in 1971 of tuberculosis.
Thelismon TONY La Tremblay (Croix des Bouquets) arrested in 1969, released in 1972, re-arrested in February 1973, died in 1976 of diarrhea.
Auguste THENOR cell 1, died in December 1974.
Edner THEAGENE died in 1975.
Jean Rifla VASSEAU* executed in March 1976.
Joseph VILFORT cell 3, Kenscoff, tinsmith, died in 1976 of tuberculosis.
Théophile VICTOME cell 5, Cazale, died on January 2, 1975 of tuberculosis.
Pierre Michel VITAL cell 6, Jérémie, released then re-arrested, died in February 1977 of tuberculosis.
Volmar VOLCY cell 6, died in July 1976.
Durena WASHINGTON cell 5, coastguard, died on October 19, 1974, of rheumatism.
Ellie WELLINGTON cell ", son of Jamaica, well-known in Port-au-Prince, died in October 1976 of tuberculosis and physical weakness.
Romuls VILBRUN cell 3, Plaine du Cul de Sac, cabinet-maker, died on February 16, 1977 of tuberculosis. (ibid.)
D. Summary Executions8. In a note dated December 27, 1978, the Commission asked for information on the allegation that, in 1974 and 1976, Haitian citizens were summarily executed. Their names appear in the list of 151 individuals who are said have died in prison.
Summary executions take place in Fort Dimanche. The executions of 1974 and 1976 may be cited as examples. On August 7, 1974, a number of prisoners were executed at Fort Dimanche. They included:
Charles PIERRE
Daule COMPERE
Samson JN. BAPTISTE
Rikitt FLORESTAL (nicknamed Don Fred)
Reynold TIMOLEON
John SOUFFRANT
Alix THOMAS
Ronale PERARD
René FRANEX
Oveny PAUL
Des PREDESTANT
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Seven persons were executed in March 1976. They included:
Clarel TERVIL
Jn. Louis ROY
Marie Thérese FEVAL
Ronal DUCHEMIN
Pierre Jean
Jn. Rifla VASSEAU (nicknamed d'Haiti)
The form of execution is barbarous. In recent years, they haven't been wasting bullets on executing prisoners. They make prisoners walk forward one by one in the night towards the sea. And they club them on the back of the neck, like dogs. The soft thud of the clubs can be heard in the cells.
The government did not furnish any information on the matter until December 7, 1979, at which time it stated that "no executions were carried out at Fort Dimanche in 1974, 1975 or 1976, nor were any persons with names similar to those listed on page 25 executed by the government of Haiti at any time during the period in question." The government also challenged the statement that "the thud of the blows can be heard in the cells" as a physical impossibility. However, the Commission has in its power an eyewitness declaration giving the following additional details:
Between Fort Dimanche Prison and the ocean, no more than a mile in distance, there is a wooded area in which, under cover of night, the executioners of Duvalier's government carry out summary executions. Assisted by the calm of night, and doubtless carried by the ocean wind, the cries of the victims reach us clearly in our cells. The place of execution is about 50 meters from the prison, i.e. from the rear wall. It is this area that the prisoners call the "bayarons" or the secret graveyard of Duvalier. (ibid.)