The Jérémie Vespers refer to a massacre that took place in August, September and October 1964 in the Haitian town of Jérémie. It took place after a group of 13 young Haitians calling themselves "Jeune Haiti" landed on August 6, 1964 at Petite-Rivière-de-Dame-Marie with the intention of overthrowing the regime of François Duvalier, also known as Papa Doc. They were Max Armand, his brother Jacques Armand, Gérald Marie Brierre, Miko Chandler, Louis Drouin, Charles Forbin, Jean Gerdes, Réginald Jourdan, Yvon Laraque, Marcel Numa, Roland Rigaud, Gusley Villedrouin and Jacques Wadestrand.
Historical context
As a former French colony, Haiti's society was not immune from the long-lasting effects of colonization, and its impact on race, class and ethnicity. Haitian society was blatantly divided along classes considered mullato, mestizo, brown and dark-skinned black. The presence of Lebanese and Chinese merchants (who brought abandoned French businesses) contributed to an at times cohesive, at times stratified society. Tensions existed along color and ethnic lines, regardless of capital and wealth, since many dark-skinned black families own property and wealth on the same level and mullatoes. The term "vespers" refers to the excursions groups of families took to the countryside on the weekends. These vespers were often organized along racial and class lines, as groups of exclusively white/light-skinned families would organize weekend country excursions, to the chagrin of their black neighbors, with whom they interacted all week.
The rise to power of Papa Doc Duvalier, a Haitian of Guadeloupe origin, also raised a sort of Black nationalism or "Noirism" throughout the country. Duvalier exhorted the country to take greater pride in her African roots, and treat with suspicion francophone elements. Duvalier was intent on consolidating his power and holding on to it. He perceived his greatest threats from the middle class, and proceeded to economically crush and terrorize them. This meant making life for the bourgeois mullatoes hell. A gestapo was organized, named the Tonton Macoutes, to accomplish this. When information regarding the Jeune Haiti militia was leaked, Duvalier retaliated brutally.
Outcome
The massacre was called the "vespers" because many of the families killed by the regime are remembered as the families who took many aforementioned "vesper" picnic excursions.
Several of the group were from the town of Jérémie. During two months they fought in the hills, the regime ordered the arrest and murder of Jeune Haiti's family members. 27 people were murdered, ranging in age from 85-year-old Mrs Chenier Villedrouin to 2-year-old Régine Sansaricq.
The murdered were:
- Louis Drouin Sr, father of Louis Drouin
- Louise Degraff, his wife
- Guy Drouin, brother of Louis Drouin
- Alice Drouin, sister of Louis Drouin Jr
- Gérard Guilbaud, Alice's husband
- Mrs. Chenier Villedrouin (née Corinne Sansaricq) (85 years old), mother of Guy and Victor Villedrouin
- Victor Villedrouin
- Roseline Drouin, Guy Villedrouin's wife and sister of Louis Drouin Jr
- Fernande Villedrouin, sister of Guy and Victor
- Guy Villedrouin, brother of Victor Villedrouin
- Adeline Chassagne, Victor Villedrouin's wife
- Lisa Villedrouin(18 years old), their daughter
- Frantz Villedrouin (16 years old) their son
- Pierre Sansaricq
- Louise Laforest, Pierre's wife
- Jean-Claude Sansaricq, their son
- Graziela Sansaricq, Jean-Claude's wife
- Lily Sansaricq, sister of Pierre Sansaricq
- Fred Sansaricq, son of Pierre
- Hubert Sansaricq, son of Pierre
- Reynold Sansaricq, son of Pierre
- Marie-Catherine Sansaricq (10 years old) daughter of Pierre
- Edith Laforest, Louise Laforest's sister
- Jean-Pierre Sansaricq (6 years old), son of Jean-Claude and Louise
- Stéphane Sansaricq (4 years old), son of Jean-Claude and Louise
- Régine Sansaricq (2 years old), daughter of Jean-Claude and Louise
- Pierre-Richard Sansaricq
- Alphonze Bazile, Son of Pierre and Vesta Bazile
The members of "Jeune Haiti" were killed one by one in combat with Haiti's army, until the last two survivors, Louis Drouin and Marcel Numa, out of ammunition, were captured alive, brought back to Port-au-Prince and shot in public against the cemetery wall on November 12, 1964.