Haitian National Truth and Justice Commission
Open-knowledge reference entry
Haiti's National Truth and Justice Commission (French: Commission Nationale de Vérité et de Justice, CNJV) began its operations in April 1995 and ended in February 1996. The country's once diverse and lively civil society had been tarnished greatly as a result of the ousting of its first democratically elected president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, by its military forces. This deposing of President Aristide is widely known as a coup d'état, and from 1991 to 1994, the country became known for its weak civilian government. The army was determined to return Haiti to the intimidated society existing during the Duvalier dictatorship seven years prior.
Background
Duvalier dictatorship
The Duvalier regime of the late 1960s and the early 1970s is partly to blame for the coup d'état that occurred resulting in Aristide's removal from power the first time. Duvalier was elected president with the help of the United States and a Haitian populace that was enduring a previous coup d'état that occurred in 1950. Once in office, the Haitian President, François "Papa Doc" Duvalier, had the Haitian constitution rewritten so that no other President could succeed him, despite his term legally ending on May 15, 1963. Duvalier remained Haiti's president until his death on April 21, 1971, ending the reign of the most corrupt President in Haiti's history. Most of Haiti's governments have been corrupt, essentially making him the most prestigious in this field so far.
The oppression in Haiti resulting from Duvalier's regime was evident.
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