Paul Magloire; Haitian President in ‘Golden Age’
Paul Magloire, 94, a former military dictator who ruled Haiti from 1950 to 1956, died Thursday night at his suburban Port-Au-Prince home, according to his son, Raymond Magloire.
A career army officer, Magloire was a member of a three-man junta that ousted President Dumarsais Estime in 1949. He was elected president in October 1950 for a six-year term.
The early years of his rule were what many consider Haiti’s golden age--when tourism was at its peak and Haitian coffee exports drew high prices.
But a 1954 hurricane inflicted heavy damage on the economy, and Magloire was ousted by the military two years later. He went into exile in New York, returning to Haiti only after the 29-year father-and-son dynasty of Francois and Jean-Claude Duvalier ended in 1986.
He was advisor to Lt. Gen. Henry Namphy, who ruled Haiti briefly in 1988. After that he kept a low profile--seldom appearing in public.
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