Monthly Archives: June 2024

Last week, we mentioned François “Papa Doc” Duvalier, who ruled Haiti from the late 1950s to early 1970s (you can read the post here). Many of you are familiar with Papa Doc’s regime, but you may not know just how strongly he relied on Vodou. Duvalier’s time in power was marked by brutal political repression and strategic cultural and religious rhetoric that placed Vodou front and center. Vodou became so much a part of Duvalier’s public persona that he declared himself one with the loa (the spirits of Vodou) and an embodiment of “the Haitian flag.”1 For context, Vodou is [...]

The relationship between Vodou and politics in Haiti is deeply intertwined. Vodou has influenced leaders, political movements, and social dynamics in every generation, and it continues to play a role in Haitian politics today. To understand this connection, we need to take a closer look at Haiti’s political history. Historical Roots Vodou’s political significance in Haiti began with the Haitian Revolution (1791–1804) (see our post, “Stronghold of Evil, Part 1” for more information). Since then, Haitian leaders in every century have used Vodou to achieve political ends. In recent history, François "Papa Doc" Duvalier, who ruled Haiti from 1957–1971, cultivated [...]