Editing Prosper Avril

{{short description|Haitian political figure (born 1937)|bot=PearBOT 5}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| image               = Prosper Avril in 2021.png
| name                = Prosper Avril
| order               = 38th
| office              = President of Haiti
| term_start          = September 17, 1988
| term_end            = March 10, 1990<ref>{{cite web| title=Major Changes in Haiti's Recent History | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/03/11/world/major-changes-in-haiti-s-recent-history.html| work=New York Times| date=March 11, 1990| access-date=March 7, 2011}}</ref>
| primeminister       = 
| predecessor         = [[Henri Namphy]]
| successor           = [[Hérard Abraham]]
| office2             = [[List of commanders-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Haiti|Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Haiti]]
| president2          = ''Himself''
| term_start2         = September 17, 1988
| term_end2           = March 10, 1990
| predecessor2        = [[Carl-Michel Nicolas]]
| successor2          = [[Herard Abraham]]
| office3             = Member of the Provisional Government of Haiti
| president3          = [[Henri Namphy]]
| term_start3         = February 7, 1987
| term_end3           = March 21, 1987
| birth_name          = Matthieu Prosper Avril
| birth_date          = {{birth date and age|1937|12|12}}
| birth_place         = [[Thomazeau]], Haiti
| death_date          = 
| death_place         = 
| party               = [[Parti national progressiste (Haiti)|National Progressive Party]]{{citation needed|date=March 2025}}
| spouse              = Marie-Ange Nazon
| relations           = 
| children            = 
| residence           = 
| alma_mater          = 
| occupation          = 
| profession          = 
| religion            = 
}}
'''Matthieu Prosper Avril''' (born December 12, 1937) is a [[Haiti]]an political figure who was [[President of Haiti]] from 1988 to 1990. A trusted member of [[François Duvalier]]'s Presidential Guard and adviser to [[Jean-Claude Duvalier]], Lt. Gen. Avril led the [[September 1988 Haitian coup d'état]] against a transition military government installed after Jean-Claude Duvalier's 1986 overthrow. He was President until March 1990, in a period which according to [[Amnesty International]] was "marred by serious human rights violations". He was arrested in 2001, but released in March 2004 after the [[2004 Haitian coup d'état]] overthrew [[Jean-Bertrand Aristide]].

==Background==
Avril was born in the small town of [[Thomazeau]], near Haiti's capital, [[Port-au-Prince]].  He joined the army, and graduated at the head of his class in the academy.  His wife was a nurse.<ref name=NYT/>

==Career==
As a junior officer, Avril served as a member of the presidential guard for [[François Duvalier]].  He then became an advisor to [[Jean-Claude Duvalier]] upon the latter's inauguration in 1971.  Duvalier-era government officials told [[Reuters]] that Avril oversaw all of Duvalier's financial accounts.  Avril was forced into retirement by Jean-Claude Duvalier in 1983, but was reinstated and promoted to Colonel in 1986 in the face of the popular revolt that lead to Duvalier's overthrow.  In a March 1986 interview with the ''[[Manchester Guardian]]'', Avril declared that Haitian refugees in other countries should be required to apply for visas when visiting Haiti; this would keep out "people who want to foment disorder."  He also predicted that Haiti would have to wait for free elections.<ref name=NYT/>

Avril was viewed positively by many fellow members of the armed forces; he was also an academy classmate of Brig. Gen. Williams Regala, one of the leaders of the post-Duvalier military junta.  Although the junta members allowed Avril to join the government as a political adviser, he was forced to resign after public demonstrations due to his Duvalier connections.  He soon rejoined the presidential guard, and assisted junta chief [[Henri Namphy]] in the [[June 1988 Haitian coup d'état]] which overthrew [[Leslie Manigat]].  Manigat was a civilian president who had been elected in a [[1988 Haitian general election|military-controlled election]]; he had taken office in February 1988.  Avril was first promoted to brigadier general, then to lieutenant general by Namphy.<ref name="NYT" />

===Presidency===
In September 1988, a week after the [[St. Jean Bosco massacre]], Avril overthrew his former ally Namphy in a [[September 1988 Haitian coup d'état|bloodless coup]].  As Avril had given few interviews, foreign media sources were unfamiliar with his political views.  American policy analyst [[Larry Birns]] described Avril as being "particularly corrupt" among the members of the Duvalier regime, but also "intelligent and crafty."<ref name=NYT>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/09/19/world/man-in-the-news-artful-career-officer-prosper-avril.html | title= Man in the News; Artful Career Officer: Prosper Avril |work = New York Times | author = Don Terry | date = September 19, 1988 | access-date = March 2, 2010}}</ref>

Avril served as President of Haiti from September 17, 1988<ref name="NYT" /> to March 10, 1990.<ref name=":1" />  [[Amnesty International]] described his rule as "marred by serious human rights violations."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.amnestyusa.org/annualreport.php?id=ar&yr=2002&c=HTI |title=Human rights in Haiti 2002 |publisher=Amnestyusa.org |access-date=May 14, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110218145551/http://www.amnestyusa.org/annualreport.php?id=ar&yr=2002&c=HTI |archive-date=February 18, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>  He initially raised goodwill by meeting with social and religious leaders and appointing a civilian cabinet.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Sheppard Jr|first=Nathaniel|date=October 9, 1988|title=Haitians Being Ruled by Promises |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1988-10-09-8802050706-story.html|access-date=2021-03-09|website=chicagotribune.com|language=en-US}}</ref>  He also restored the 1987 [[Constitution of Haiti]] in March 1989.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|date=1989-04-03|title=Haiti Thwarts Coup Attempt Against Avril|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-04-03-mn-657-story.html|access-date=2021-03-09|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US}}</ref>  However, the U.S. government required Avril to crack down on drug trafficking in exchange for foreign aid; his arrests of involved army members dented his popularity.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Neagle|first=John|date=1989-04-06|title=Haiti: President Avril Asked To Step Down By Soldiers From Dessalines Barracks|url=https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/notisur/2959|journal=NotiSur}}</ref>  Avril put down a [[1989 Haitian coup d'état attempt|coup attempt]] by disgruntled officers in April 1989.<ref name=":0" />  Civilian opposition groups also demanded that Avril deliver on his promise to hold elections; in response, he began deporting their leaders.  He traveled to [[Taiwan]] in January 1990 for his first foreign visit.  Before his arrival, civil activists informed Taiwan via [[Telex]] that any contracts with the military regime would not be recognized by a civilian government.  Avril returned home empty-handed; in retaliation, he ordered [[feces]] to be dumped outside the offices of opposition groups.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Treaster|first=Joseph B.|date=1990-01-22|title=Haiti Deports Some Opposition Leaders|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/01/22/world/haiti-deports-some-opposition-leaders.html|access-date=2021-03-09|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

After mass public protests, Avril transferred power to the army chief of staff, Gen. [[Hérard Abraham]], on March 10, 1990.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|date=1990-03-11|title=Haitian dictator gives up power to general 'to restore peace'|url=https://www.deseret.com/1990/3/11/18850654/haitian-dictator-gives-power-up-to-general-to-restore-peace|access-date=2021-03-09|website=Deseret News|language=en}}</ref>  Avril went into exile in [[Miami]], [[Florida]]; he moved to the [[Dominican Republic]] after he was refused entry into Haiti in 1992.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Former Military Leader Detained on Return to Haiti|url=https://apnews.com/article/fb8f42c9197b186ca306d349667c6ac9|access-date=2021-03-09|website=AP News}}</ref>  He returned to Haiti in 1993.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Former Strongmen of Impoverished Haiti Live Well With AM-Haiti, Bjt|url=https://apnews.com/article/e74aca7d1d0d4ed046b289478d3cdcc5|access-date=2021-03-09|website=AP News}}</ref>  He fled again in 1995 after the Haitian government moved to arrest him in connection with the assassination of a government official during his time in power.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news|agency=Reuters|date=2002-04-16|title=Former Haitian Ruler Is Released From Prison, Then Rearrested|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/16/international/americas/former-haitian-ruler-is-released-from-prison-then.html|access-date=2021-03-09|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>  He was finally arrested in 2001, shortly after [[Jean-Bertrand Aristide]] was elected President, for allegedly plotting against the state.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/haiti/avril-arrested.htm | title=Former Haiti President Prosper Avril arrested |publisher = CNN|date = May 26, 2001| access-date = March 23, 2010}}</ref>  Avril was released in 2002 after an appeals court ruled that the government presented "insufficient evidence"; he was immediately rearrested and charged with organizing a 1990 massacre of farmers.<ref name=":2" /> He was freed after Aristide was ousted in the [[2004 Haitian coup d'état]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=October 12, 2011|title=The President Martelly met the former President Prosper Avril|url=https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-4001-haiti-politic-the-president-martelly-met-the-former-president-prosper-avril.html|access-date=2021-03-09|website=HaitiLibre}}</ref>

===Miami===
At the time Aristide came to power, Prosper Avril lived in Miami <!-- under an assumed name --> despite the fact that he would be easily recognizable.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Rohter|first=Larry|date=1991-11-15|title=Ex-Ruler of Haiti Faces Human Rights Suit in U.S.|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/11/15/news/ex-ruler-of-haiti-faces-human-rights-suit-in-us.html|access-date=2021-03-09|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> This high-profile also made him the target of rumors, and so when two [[Assassinations of Little Haiti journalists|Haitian radio journalists]] were assassinated during the first weeks and month after Aristide took power, Avril became the target of rumors that declared his involvement. He recounts this experience in his book, ''An Appeal to History: The Truth about a Singular Lawsuit''.<ref name=prosperavril>{{cite book|first1=Prosper |last1=Avril |title=An Appeal to History: The Truth about a Singular Lawsuit |publisher=Universal-Publishers |year=1999 |pages=229–231 |isbn=9781581127843 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UztWCOW9Ys8C&q=%22Louis+Thermitus%22}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=March 2021}}

== Publications in English ==

* ''An Appeal to History: The Truth about a Singular Lawsuit''. Universal-Publishers, 1999.<ref name="prosperavril" />
* ''From Glory to Disgrace: The Haitian Army, 1804–1994''. Universal-Publishers, 1999.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Avril|first=Prosper|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/43648857|title=From glory to disgrace : the Haitian army, 1804–1994|date=1999|publisher=Universal Publishers|isbn=1-58112-836-3|location=Parkland, Fla.|oclc=43648857}}</ref>
* ''Haiti (1995–2000): The Black Book on Insecurity''. Universal-Publishers, 2004.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Avril|first=Prosper|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/61137926|title=Haiti (1995–2000) : the black book on insecurity|date=2004|isbn=1-58112-533-X|location=US|oclc=61137926}}</ref>
* ''Justice Versus Politics in Haiti (2001–2004)''. Universal-Publishers, 2007.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Avril|first=Prosper|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/698474042|title=Justice versus politics in Haiti, 2001–2004|date=2007|publisher=Universal Publishers|isbn=978-1-58112-966-3|location=Boca Raton, Fla.|oclc=698474042}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[List of heads of state of Haiti]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

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{{succession box|title=[[President of Haiti]]|before=[[Henri Namphy]]|after=[[Hérard Abraham]]|years=1988–1990}}
{{s-end}}

{{Heads of state of Haiti}}
{{Commanders of the Armed Forces of Haiti}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Avril, Prosper}}
[[Category:20th-century presidents of Haiti]]
[[Category:1937 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Leaders who took power by coup]]
[[Category:Haitian generals]]
[[Category:Haitian military leaders]]
[[Category:1980s in Haiti]]
[[Category:1990s in Haiti]]
[[Category:20th-century Haitian politicians]]