François produced a constitution to solidify power and replaced the bicameral legislature with a unicameral one. On 14 June 1964, following a constitutional referendum, Duvalier declared himself President-for-Life and changed the color of the national flag and arms from red and blue to red and black. He fired the chief of the military and established a Presidential Guard to maintain his power. He also established the "Volontaires de la Sécurité Nationale" (National Security Volunteers), commonly referred to as the "Tonton Macoute", named after a bogeyman in Haitian mythology. The Tonton Macoute became Haiti's secret police and they also had a pervasive amount of influence throughout Haiti's rural countryside. Duvalier used his newly gained influence within the military to establish his own elite. Corruption was endemic, and he stole money from government agencies and used it to reward officials who were loyal to him. Duvalier also exploited popular Vodou beliefs, creating a cult of personality surrounding himself. Due to his extremely repressive rule, U.S. President John F. Kennedy revoked American aid to Duvalier and recalled U.S. Marine Corps missions in 1962. However, after the assassination of Kennedy, relations with Duvalier eased, partially due to Haiti's strategic location near Cuba.