Page 12

Properties

filename

page-12.jpg

height

3294

mime_type

image/jpeg

ocr_images_extracted

0

ocr_model

mistral-ocr-latest

ocr_source_file_key

v1

page_number

12

source_entity_id

01KK2FRNHE2XHKQAQ0XCY24V6F

text

Approved for Release: 2020/08/11 C02000173 SECRET # Haiti Facing New Political Crisis President Francois Duvalier's roughshod methods against the opposition and the Roman Catholic Church in Haiti appear to be increasing the number and effectiveness of those actively opposed to him. The immediate issue--student resistance to the government's efforts to convert the school system into a political instrument of the regime--is being exploited by factions of the underground opposition, apparently including a group linked to Haiti's small Communist movement. A rash of opposition mimeographed bulletins that appeared on the streets of the capital on 12 January included strike calls for both high school and university students. The bulletins have a high political content and student grievances are secondary, suggesting that more experienced oppositionists than the students are directing the moves. One leaflet, issued by a group calling itself the Popular Party for National Liberation, calls for the formation of a popular front to oust Duvalier. The only previous public act by this group was last May Day when it issued a Communist-line tract. Noise bombs were exploded in two schools on 11 January, and attendance at the secondary and elementary schools of the capital, recently reopened after a six-week "vacation period," is reported to have declined. The university, closed by the regime last November, is scheduled to reopen on 16 January, but the majority of the students are expected to respect the strike call. The position of the Roman Catholic Church, which is not strong in Haiti, has been further weakened by Duvalier's summary expulsion of the archbishop last November and of his successor and a number of other priests this week. They were charged with supporting the student "agitators." The Vatican's 12 January excommunication of all officials responsible for the expulsions will probably lead to further efforts by the President SECRET 14 Jan 61 CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN Page 4 Approved for Release: 2020/08/11 C02000173

text_extracted_at

2026-03-06T21:11:16.680Z

text_source

ocr

width

2544