Élie Lescot

Élie Lescot was the President of Haiti from May 15, 1941, to January 11, 1946. He was a member of the mixed-race elite, a social group with significant influence.

Lescot used his political ties to the United States to maintain his authority. His administration was marked by a declining economy and the repression of political opponents. He was also the last Haitian head of state born in the 19th century.

Lescot's path to leadership began with a background in science and business. Born in Saint-Louis-du-Nord, he studied pharmacy in Port-au-Prince after secondary school in Cap-Haïtien. He later worked in the export-import business in Port-de-Paix. After his first wife died in 1911, he entered the political arena. He was elected to the Chamber of Deputies in 1913. During the United States occupation of Haiti, he lived in France for four years. Upon his return, he held various government posts. He eventually served as an ambassador to the Dominican Republic and later to the United States.

His rise to the presidency in 1941 was highly controversial. Lescot had the tacit backing of the United States State Department. Many members of the Chamber of Deputies opposed him. They argued that Haiti required a president of majority African ancestry. Some reports suggested Lescot used his connection to Dominican President Rafael Trujillo to secure power. He won 56 out of 58 votes from the legislators. Deputy Max Hudicourt claimed this margin resulted from the intimidation and beating of legislators. Once in power, Lescot consolidated control by naming himself head of the Military Guard. He also appointed a small group of mixed-race elites to major posts, including his own sons.

During World War II, Lescot's government made significant geopolitical choices. Following the bombing of Pearl Harbor, he declared war on the Axis Powers. He pledged full support to the Allied war effort. His administration also cooperated with Trujillo to offer refuge to European Jews on Haitian soil. In 1942, Lescot claimed the war necessitated the suspension of the constitution. This allowed the parliament to grant him unlimited executive powers. During this time, security forces used surveillance and physical harassment against political dissidents.

One of the most significant economic efforts under Lescot was the SHADA program. This was the Société Haïtiano-Américan de Développement Agricole. It was an ambitious plan to expand rubber production in the Haitian countryside. The program was a cooperation with the United States to combat Axis blockades. In 1941, the Export-Import Bank of Washington granted $5 million for this development.

An American agronomist named Thomas Fennell managed the project. The program utilized the cryptostegia vine to produce latex. It eventually claimed over 100,000 hectares of land. At its peak, the program employed more than 90,000 people.

However, the SHADA program caused severe social and environmental damage. To meet rubber demands, the government lured farmers away from food crops. Peasant families were forcibly removed from the most fertile land. In Jérémie, nearly one million fruit-bearing trees were cut down. Houses were often invaded or razed during this process. The Haitian Minister of Agriculture, Maurice Dartigue, protested these actions to Fennell. He requested respect for the interests of the Haitian peasantry. Ultimately, the yields did not meet expectations due to droughts and poor production. A U.S. military survey noted the program lacked the respect of the Haitian people. The U.S. later offered $175,000 in compensation to displaced peasants.

Lescot's final years in office were defined by instability and unrest. The government faced near bankruptcy and a failing economy. He unsuccessfully asked the United States for extensions on debt repayments. Domestically, he expanded the Military Guard and used rural police chiefs, known as chefs de section, to rule by force. In 1944, seven low-ranking black soldiers were executed after a failed rebellion. In late 1945, a student newspaper called La Ruche began criticizing his government. By 1946, student demonstrations and strikes broke out in Port-au-Prince. When the Military Guard refused to suppress the crowds, Lescot and his cabinet fled into exile. He was succeeded by a military junta, and later, Dumarsais Estimé became the first black president since the U.S. occupation.