In 1986 the 30-year reign of the Duvalier family ended when “President for Life” Jean-Claude Duvalier was forced into exile. The people of Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, hoped that they would soon have a democratic government. The military regime that first took control of the government reluctantly allowed an election to be held in 1987.
However, this election was cancelled because of the violence that erupted among the rival political parties. Another election, held in 1988, brought a civilian government to power, but the military soon seized control again.
The government remained in the hands of the military until 1990, when Jean-Bertrand Aristide, a populist Catholic priest, won, becoming Haiti’s first democratically elected president. In September of 1991, however, the military again seized power, forcing Aristide to flee the country. Three years later, mainly through the efforts of the United States, Aristide was able to return to Haiti and once again take office. In 1996 he was succeeded by Rene Preval first time that one elected Haitian civilian had completed his term in office and peacefully passed power to another. Aristide, however, continued to play an important role in Haitian politics, and observers believed that he would again seek the presidency. Meanwhile, Haiti continued to suffer dire economic and social problems, ranging from extreme poverty and widespread illiteracy to rampant crime and corruption.
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