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The Wedding of Jean Claude Duvalier and Michele Bennett

Updated March 6, 2013 5:41 PM
It was revealed that the two met in High school. However, the romantic relationship between Michele Bennett and Jean Claude Duvalier did not begin until ten years later. the wedding that was considered the biggest event of the time took place on May 27, 1980. The wedding was estimated to cost over US$3 million. The marriage also brought an underlining issue to the surface in the Haitian society. Many saw it as renewed symbol of alliance with the mulatto elite by the Duvalier regime. This was in direct contrast to the policy of Francois Duvalier who in 1957 was fighting against presidential candidate Louis Dejoie, a mulatto land-owner and industrialist from the north of Haiti. Francois Duvalier used used a Noiriste strategy to challenge the mulatto elite and appealed to the Afro-Haitian majority.

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Following the wedding and the increased power gained by Michele Bennett as the new First Lady, new friction started to flair-up between her and her mother in law, Simone Duvalier.

A number of changes were taking place in the government with First lady Michele Bennett taking many of the intitatives. Jean-Claude Duvalier did not help the situation, instead, appointed a new and younger crowd around him.

Jean-Claude Duvalier and Michele Benett arrived in France in 1986 after their exile from Haiti. In 1992, Michele and Jean Claude divorced. The divorce settlement was reported to have reduced the former dictator to near poverty. Michele Bennett and Jean Claude Duvalier had two children together, Francois Nicolas Duvalier and Anya Duvalier

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Read more: jean claude duvalier, Black Vs Mulato, Mulato, Francois Duvalier, France, Michele Bennet, Louis Dejoie, Wedding, First Lady, Francois Nicolas Duvalier, Anya Duvalier, Duvalier Facts, duvalier

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