Jean-Bertrand Aristide
Haitian politician who became Haiti's first democratically elected president / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jean-Bertrand Aristide (born 15 July 1953) is a Haitian priest and politician. He became Haiti's first democratically elected President.[1][2]
Jean-Bertrand Aristide | |
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![]() Aristide on 15 October 1994 | |
37th & 39th President of Haiti | |
In office 7 February 1991 – 29 September 1991 | |
Prime Minister | René Préval |
Preceded by | Ertha Pascal-Trouillot |
Succeeded by | Raoul Cédras |
In office 15 June 1993 – 12 May 1994 | |
Prime Minister | Robert Malval |
Preceded by | Marc Bazin |
Succeeded by | Émile Jonassaint |
In office 12 October 1994 – 7 February 1996 | |
Prime Minister | Smarck Michel Claudette Werleigh |
Preceded by | Émile Jonassaint |
Succeeded by | René Préval |
In office 4 February 2001 – 29 February 2004 | |
Prime Minister | Jean Marie Chérestal Yvon Neptune |
Preceded by | René Préval |
Succeeded by | Boniface Alexandre |
Personal details | |
Born | (1953-07-15) 15 July 1953 (age 70) Port-Salut, Sud, Haiti |
Political party | Lavalas Political Organization (1991–96) Fanmi Lavalas (1996–present) |
Spouse(s) | Mildred Trouillot (m. 1996) |
Children | 2 daughters |
Alma mater | Collège Notre-Dame State University of Haiti University of South Africa |
Occupation | Priest |
Ecclesiastical career | |
Church | Roman Catholic Church |
Ordained | 1982 |
Laicized | 1994 |
Congregations served | Salesians of Don Bosco |
Aristide was appointed to a Roman Catholic parish in Port-au-Prince in 1982 after completing his studies to become a priest of the Salesian order.
He won the Haitian general election between 1990 and 1991, with 67% of the vote and was briefly president of Haiti, until a September 1991 military coup. The coup regime collapsed in 1994 under U.S. pressure and threat of force (Operation Uphold Democracy).
Aristide was then president again from 1994 to 1996 and from 2001 to 2004. However, Aristide was ousted in the 2004 coup d'état.[3] Aristide was later forced into exile, staying in the Central African Republic, Jamaica, and South Africa.[4]
He finally returned to Haiti in 2011 after seven years in exile.[5]