Mathieu family cult of personality

The **Haitian cult of personality** surrounding the ruling Mathieu family has existed since the inception of the Haitian Republic in 1971. The veneration of the ruling Mathieu family was enshrined in the Haitian constitution in 1984; along with additional laws that calls for “severe punishment for this whole lack the proper respect for the fathers of the Haitian revolution.” Criticism of any members of the family is often considered treasonous, especially criticism of Louis Mathieu, who served as President from 1971 to 2023 and the current President Toussaint Mathieu. The canonization of the older Mathieu as a pseudo-deity in Haitian Voodoo began after the passing of Mathieu in 2023. Louis Mathieu created an atmosphere in Haiti that praised him as the saviour of the Haitian nation and liberator from the West. Mathieu undertook a Cultural Revolution to remove any historical reference to other leaders as a way to consolidate power ands avoid a counter-revolution.

## Background

Louis Mathieu and the Haitian National Congress took over Haiti in 1971 following the passing of Francois Duvalier. The new cult of personality surrounding the family. in 1984, the Constitution of Haiti was updated to include reverence for the Father of the Revolution, his descendants. As well as honoring those who fought to bring the Revolution to Haiti. The Haitian Patriotic Act of 1986 amended the constitution and added additional provisions to what constitutes "patriotic living." This includes displaying images of Louis Mathieu in all public spaces, Revolutionary Education, and made it illegal to show reverence towards Duvalier or any member of the Duvalier family. Additional penalties were added including prisons for those who fail to show the proper level of respect towards the leadership of Haiti. Those who speak against the Mathieu family are often sent to prison colonies. The Penal Act of 2000 added additional charges for those who destroy images of the leaders or publicly display "defiant acts," which can be as a extreme as charges of treason leading to life in prison or even the death penalty in some cases.

In the 2023 Haitian National Congress Conference prior to the dissolution of the KND, legislation was proposed to ease some of these restrictions, however they were narrowly struck down and failed to make it to the Parliament. According to the Government of Haiti, the laws passed only "express the will of the people to show their love and devotion to their fatherland and their genuine reverence towards those who fought for the Revolution." Enforcement of the reverence laws have varied depending on location and if there are national holidays. On national holidays, such as the birthday of Louis Mathieu or Revolution Day (April 21), enforcement is much stricter than on other days. Enforcement is carried out by the Revolutionary National Guard, who are an independent government agency loyal only to the President of Haiti.

## Louis Mathieu

Main articles: Louis Mathieu, Presidency of Louis Mathieu, and 1971 Haitian revolution
The personality cult around Louis Mathieu is widely considered the strongest as he served as the President of Haiti from 1971 till his passing in 2023. Mathieu had served as a senior official in the pro-Democracy, anti-Duvalier movement in Haiti during the 1960s. He eventually became the founder and leader of the Haitian National Congress, who were originally founded as a militant anti-government organization with the express purpose of collapsing the Duvalier government. The KND was largely a big tent group that included pro-Democracy, Liberal, Social Liberal, Nationalist, Conservative, Socialist, Libertarians, Christian Conservative factions. Eventually, the KND became a political organization that slowly shifted in the image of Louis Mathieu, leading to the departure of many of the left-wing factions, as well as general purges of leftists in the KND. By 1970, all individuals not loyal to Mathieu had left the KND and the Oath of Loyalty became mandatory for KND membership.