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Léon Dumarsais Estimé - President of Haiti

 PRESIDENT: Léon Dumarsais Estimé 

Dumarsais Estimate

   
 He was born April 21, 1900, in Verrettes, died July 20, 1953, in New York. Elected with a small majority for 4 years on August 16, 1996. Éstimé was a scholar (passionate about French literature and philosophy). As soon as he came to power, President Estimé took a series of measures to gain the confidence of the population:

In agriculture

He created a national coffee board to better control the production and export of this staple food.

He nationalizes SHADA

In 1949, the government began an irrigation project for the lands of the Artibonite Valley, which began with the construction of the Péligre dam.

In public works

President Estime inaugurates the Grande-Anse bridge.

To better balance relations between the Dominican and Haitian peoples, he built in the central plateau not far from the border of the modern city of Belladère.

In 1949, on the occasion of the bicentenary of the founding of Port-au-Prince, the government organized a major international exhibition.

He enlarged the capital, modernized the commercial districts and cleaned up the seabed.


In Social Affairs

Esteem's government creates the ministry and the labor office.

Young Haitians trained through internships in international offices support them in the settlement of conflicts between employers and unions.

Laws concerning the regulation of work are also voted

It also encourages cooperatives and unions.

Under Esteemed Presidency the financial liberation of Haiti takes place.

The Americans give the country control of its finances. The national bank passes under Haitian administration.

To achieve this liberation, the government launched an internal loan. Haitians lend money to the government to complete the payment of the country's debts to the United States. This operation gave rise to a great national mobilization. All strata of society, including schoolchildren, contribute in the form of donations.

According to him, it was necessary to fight against the abuses of the traditional school and to educate the masses. A large number of demonstrators invaded the senate and ransacked the offices because President Estime is trying to extend his mandate by amending the constitution.


The army intervenes it forces the president to resign. The population is dismayed because he had become the idol of the people and the middle class. The army forbids any demonstration, Estime does not therefore end his mandate and leave for exile May 10, 1950.

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