Sténio Vincent
Encyclopedia
Sténio Joseph Vincent was President of Haiti
from November 18, 1930 to May 15, 1941.
In October 1930 Haitians chose a national assembly for the first time since 1918, which elected Vincent as President of Haiti. He was a light-skinned Haitian of Spanish ancestry, graduating from law school at age 18 before ascending to head of Haiti's Chamber of Deputies by 1915. He ran a nationalist campaign for the presidency based on his fierce opposition to the American occupation of the Haiti.
After US Marines left in 1934, Vincent turned to a more authoritarian leadership style. Leading dissidents like Jacques Roumain
and Max Hudicourt
were followed, spied on, and imprisoned for their political activity. The United States became Haiti's largest trading partner. By mid-decade, Vincent was considered "one of the staunchest pro-Americans in the hemisphere." In 1935, a plebiscite extended his term to 1941 and amended the constitution such that future presidents would be elected by popular vote.
In October 1937 troops and police from the Dominican Republic massacred thousands of Haitian labourers living near the border in the Parsley Massacre
. As reports of the slaughter swiftly reached Port-au-Prince, Vincent restricted local press coverage, worrying that it would inflame tensions between the two countries. He had enjoyed a cooperative relationship with and financial support from the government of Dominican President Rafael Trujillo.
The news could not be contained. After two years of relative quiet in Port-au-Prince, protests from various sectors of the population broke out against the Vincent's weak response to the massacre. Security was doubled around the National Palace, to the irritation of black soldiers who felt the army should be deployed on the border.
The Dominican government agreed in 1938 to compensate the slain workers’ relatives the following year in return for the cancellation of an independent investigation. But only part of the promised amount was actually paid. By that time, two coup attempts within the Haitian army had been averted. A US government State Department dispatch described Vincent as dealing with his political opponents in "Hitlerian fashion."
With mounting opposition and upcoming elections, Vincent declared his intention to step down and the presidency was peacefully transitioned in 1941 to his successor, Élie Lescot
.
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
from November 18, 1930 to May 15, 1941.
In October 1930 Haitians chose a national assembly for the first time since 1918, which elected Vincent as President of Haiti. He was a light-skinned Haitian of Spanish ancestry, graduating from law school at age 18 before ascending to head of Haiti's Chamber of Deputies by 1915. He ran a nationalist campaign for the presidency based on his fierce opposition to the American occupation of the Haiti.
After US Marines left in 1934, Vincent turned to a more authoritarian leadership style. Leading dissidents like Jacques Roumain
Jacques Roumain
Jacques Roumain was a Haitian writer, politician, and advocate of Communism. He is considered one of the most prominent figures in Haitian literature. Although poorly known in the English-speaking world, Roumain has significant following in Europe, and is renowned in the Caribbean and Latin America...
and Max Hudicourt
Max Hudicourt
Max Hudicourt was a Haïtian lawyer, journalist and leading socialist politician.Hudicourt was born in Port-au-Prince to an elite light-skinned family, but spent his childhood in Jérémie, his mother's hometown. He moved to Port-au-Prince at to pursue a higher education and attend Law School...
were followed, spied on, and imprisoned for their political activity. The United States became Haiti's largest trading partner. By mid-decade, Vincent was considered "one of the staunchest pro-Americans in the hemisphere." In 1935, a plebiscite extended his term to 1941 and amended the constitution such that future presidents would be elected by popular vote.
In October 1937 troops and police from the Dominican Republic massacred thousands of Haitian labourers living near the border in the Parsley Massacre
Parsley Massacre
In October 1937, Dominican President Rafael Trujillo ordered the execution of the Haitian population living in the borderlands with Haiti. The violence resulted in the killing of 20,000On October 2, 1937, Trujillo had ordered 20,000 Haitian cane workers executed because they could not roll the "R"...
. As reports of the slaughter swiftly reached Port-au-Prince, Vincent restricted local press coverage, worrying that it would inflame tensions between the two countries. He had enjoyed a cooperative relationship with and financial support from the government of Dominican President Rafael Trujillo.
The news could not be contained. After two years of relative quiet in Port-au-Prince, protests from various sectors of the population broke out against the Vincent's weak response to the massacre. Security was doubled around the National Palace, to the irritation of black soldiers who felt the army should be deployed on the border.
The Dominican government agreed in 1938 to compensate the slain workers’ relatives the following year in return for the cancellation of an independent investigation. But only part of the promised amount was actually paid. By that time, two coup attempts within the Haitian army had been averted. A US government State Department dispatch described Vincent as dealing with his political opponents in "Hitlerian fashion."
With mounting opposition and upcoming elections, Vincent declared his intention to step down and the presidency was peacefully transitioned in 1941 to his successor, Élie Lescot
Élie Lescot
Louis Élie Lescot was the President of Haiti from May 15, 1941 to January 11, 1946. He was a member of the country's light-skinned elite and used the political climate of World War II to sustain his power and ties to the United States, Haiti's powerful northern neighbor...
.