Prosper Avril facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Prosper Avril
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| 38th President of Haiti | |
| In office September 17, 1988 – March 10, 1990 |
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| Preceded by | Henri Namphy |
| Succeeded by | Hérard Abraham |
| Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Haiti | |
| In office September 17, 1988 – March 10, 1990 |
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| President | Himself |
| Preceded by | Carl-Michel Nicolas |
| Succeeded by | Herard Abraham |
| Member of the Provisional Government of Haiti | |
| In office February 7, 1987 – March 21, 1987 |
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| President | Henri Namphy |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Matthieu Prosper Avril
December 12, 1937 Thomazeau, Haiti |
| Spouse | Marie-Ange Nazon |
Matthieu Prosper Avril (born December 12, 1937) is a political figure from Haiti. He served as the President of Haiti from 1988 to 1990. Before becoming president, he was a trusted member of the Presidential Guard for François Duvalier. He also advised Jean-Claude Duvalier. In September 1988, Lt. Gen. Avril led a military takeover against the government that had replaced Jean-Claude Duvalier. His time as president was marked by serious issues concerning people's rights. He was arrested in 2001 but later released in 2004.
Contents
Early Life and Military Career
Prosper Avril was born on December 12, 1937. His hometown was Thomazeau, a small place near Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince. He joined the army and was a top student in his class at the military academy. His wife worked as a nurse.
Rise to Power
As a young officer, Avril was part of the special guard for President François Duvalier. Later, he became an important advisor to Jean-Claude Duvalier when he became president in 1971. Some officials said that Avril managed all of Duvalier's money matters.
In 1983, Jean-Claude Duvalier made Avril retire from the army. However, Avril was brought back and promoted in 1986. This happened during a time when many people were protesting, which led to Duvalier being removed from power.
After Duvalier left, a group of military leaders took control. Avril was allowed to join this government as a political advisor. But he had to leave after public protests because of his past links to the Duvalier family. He soon rejoined the presidential guard.
Avril then helped the military leader Henri Namphy in June 1988. They worked together to remove Leslie Manigat, who was a civilian president. Manigat had been elected in an election controlled by the military. After this, Namphy promoted Avril to a higher military rank.
Becoming President
In September 1988, Prosper Avril led a peaceful military takeover. He removed his former ally, Henri Namphy, from power. This happened about a week after a sad event known as the St. Jean Bosco massacre. Many people outside Haiti did not know much about Avril's political ideas. Some experts described him as very smart but also involved in corruption during the Duvalier era.
Presidency and Challenges
Prosper Avril was the President of Haiti from September 17, 1988, to March 10, 1990. During his time in office, there were many serious problems with people's rights.
At first, he gained some support. He met with religious and community leaders. He also chose non-military people to be part of his government. In March 1989, he brought back Haiti's main rulebook, the 1987 Constitution of Haiti.
In April 1989, some unhappy officers tried to take power from Avril. He managed to stop this attempt. Civilian groups also wanted Avril to keep his promise to hold elections. In response, he started sending their leaders out of the country.
In January 1990, Avril traveled to Taiwan for his first trip outside Haiti. Before he arrived, activists told Taiwan that any deals made with Avril's military government would not be recognized by a future civilian government. Avril returned to Haiti without any new agreements.
After many public protests, Avril gave up power on March 10, 1990. He handed control to the army chief of staff, Gen. Hérard Abraham.
Life After Presidency
After leaving office, Avril went to live in Miami, Florida. Later, he moved to the Dominican Republic because he was not allowed back into Haiti in 1992. He returned to Haiti in 1993.
He left Haiti again in 1995. This was because the Haitian government wanted to arrest him. He was linked to a difficult event involving a government official during his time in power.
He was finally arrested in 2001, shortly after Jean-Bertrand Aristide became president. He was accused of planning against the government. Avril was released in 2002 after a court said there was not enough proof. However, he was immediately arrested again. This time, he was accused of being involved in a serious event that happened to farmers in 1990. He was freed after Aristide was removed from power in 2004.
Living in Miami
When Jean-Bertrand Aristide became president, Prosper Avril was living in Miami. Because he was a well-known person, he became the subject of rumors. When two Haitian radio journalists were killed after Aristide took power, some rumors linked Avril to these events. He wrote about this experience in his book, An Appeal to History: The Truth about a Singular Lawsuit.
Books by Prosper Avril
- An Appeal to History: The Truth about a Singular Lawsuit. Universal-Publishers, 1999.
- From Glory to Disgrace: The Haitian Army, 1804–1994. Universal-Publishers, 1999.
- Haiti (1995–2000): The Black Book on Insecurity. Universal-Publishers, 2004.
- Justice Versus Politics in Haiti (2001–2004). Universal-Publishers, 2007.
See also
In Spanish: Prosper Avril para niños
Images for kids
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Prosper Avril in 2021.
