The beginning of the end of Jean Claude Duvalier Reign

One of the point that signaled the beginning of an end to the JeanClaude duvalier regime was his Cabinet Reshuffle of 1985. As the pressure was mounting from the population for Jean Claude Duvalier to get out of power, in a surprising 1:00a.m announcement, he announced a major Cabinet Reshuffling. He removed four principal Cabinet ministers following the shooting death of four school children in Haiti. The student were part of the general protest in the country demanding an end to the Duvalier regime.

He changed the structure of his Ministerial Cabinet, changing it from the usual seven-member Cabinet to 14. Col. Gregoire Figero who was then chief of police in Cap Haitien, was named to replace Col. Albert Pierre as national police chief. In addition the following people were removed as part of the Cabinet Reshuffle:

Minister of Interior, Presidency, Information and National Defense, Jean-Marie Chanoine
Economy, Finance, Planning and Commerce Minister, Frantz Merceron
Justice, Education, Youth and Sports Minister, Theodore Achille
Foreign Affairs, Religion and Social Affairs Minister, Jean-Robert Estime

Dr. Roger Lafontant had already been removed out of the Mnister of interior and national defense and then in October and sent into exile.

The new Ministers included:
Planning; Raymond Thomas
Industry and Commerce, Theophile Roche
Foreign Affairs; George Salomon
Social Affairs, Daniel Supplice
Interior and National Defense Pierre Merceron
Information and Public Relations, Adrien Raymond
Justice, Jean Vandal
Agriculture, Herbert Docteur
Youth and Sports, Nicole Julien
Mines, Michel Simon
Education, Pierre Montes

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Read more: jean claude duvalier, Daniel Supplice, Gonaives, Tonton Macoute, Roger Lafontant, 1986, Theodore Achilles, Cabinet Reshuffling, Duvalier Facts, Gregoire Figero, Albert Pierre, Jean Marie Chanoine, Frantz Merceron, Jean-Robert Estime, Raymond Thomas, Theophile Roche, George Salomon, Pierre Merceron, Adrien Raymond, Jean Vandal, Herbert Docteur, Nicole Julien, Michel Simon, Pierre Montes, duvalier

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