‘Baby Doc’ Duvalier enjoys perks of Haiti freedom

[Judi Lynn]

Posted on Mon, May. 09, 2011
‘Baby Doc’ Duvalier enjoys perks of Haiti freedom
By Jacqueline Charles
[e-mail]


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Allison Shelley / For The Miami Herald
Deposed Haitian president Jean-Claude Duvalier, center, also
known as 'Baby Doc', and his companion Veronique Roy, left,
enjoy a musical performance at an upscale restaurant as part
of the International Jazz Festival in Port-au-Prince, Haiti,
February 19, 2011. Duvalier was charged in January with
corruption, theft, and misappropriation of funds related to
his rule and must remain in Haiti to face the charges.

They say he came home to die. But almost four months after his shocking return, Jean-Claude “Baby Doc’’ Duvalier appears to be the epitome of life.

His once gaunt frame has filled out. His round-face, robust. And he is standing tall, moving about like a man with a purpose — not an accused criminal possibly facing prison.

A one-time despot driven from his homeland in disgrace, Duvalier, 59, has been acting like a president who left at the pinnacle of his popularity. He’s holding court at tony restaurants, hobnobbing with powerful players and greeting guests at his borrowed home high in the pleasant hills above the congested capital.

“The phone is ringing all of the time and I’m receiving a lot of visitors,’’ Duvalier told The Miami Herald, describing a typical day in the life of Haiti’s former president-for-life.

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http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/05/09/2209133/baby-doc-duvalier-enjoys-perks.html