Haitian Kingpin Nicknamed Baby Doc (1971 to 1986)
While he wasn't exactly a child when he came into power, Jean-Claude Duvalier of Haiti was just 19-years-old when he was declared President of Haiti.
Baby Doc came into power after his father named him as successor and made certain amendments to the constitution that allowed him to be the President for the rest of his life. Many believed his reign won't last long as Haiti was already in a miserable state, but he succeeded to rule the country for about 15 years.
Jean-Claude lived a lavish life while his citizens suffered in misery. His family grew rich by exporting cadavers and blood plasma to the United States. The rampant corruption also meant that none of the aid that came into Haiti was put to good use.
In 1979, Baby Doc's mother married her son in a voodoo ritual to renew a pact she made with the devil years ago. A year later, Jean-Claude married Michèle Bennett, a girl he knew since his teens. The icing on the cake for Haitian citizens was the $3 million dollar wedding celebration for Baby Doc – for everyone else, starvation was a way of life. The Duvaliers were forced to flee Haiti. Jean-Claude is said to have embezzled about $800 million during his term.
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