Hérard Abraham

Hérard Abraham
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship
In office January 28, 2005 – June 9, 2006
President	Boniface Alexandre
Prime Minister	Gerard Latortue
Preceded by	Yvon Simeon
Succeeded by	Jean Rénald Clérismé
Minister of Interior
In office March 17, 2004 – January 28, 2005
President	Boniface Alexandre
Prime Minister	Gerard Latortue
Preceded by	Jocelerme Privert
Succeeded by	Georges Moïse
President of Haiti Acting
In office March 10, 1990 – March 13, 1990
Preceded by	Prosper Avril
Succeeded by	Ertha Pascal-Trouillot
Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Haiti
In office March 10, 1990 – July 2, 1991
President	Ertha Pascal-Trouillot Jean-Bertrand Aristide
Preceded by	Prosper Avril
Succeeded by	Raoul Cedras
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship
In office January 20, 1988 – September 18, 1988
President	Henri Namphy
Preceded by	Gerard Latortue
Succeeded by	Serge E. Charles
Minister of Information and Coordination
In office March 24, 1986 – January 5, 1987
President	Henri Namphy
Preceded by	Max Vallès
Succeeded by	Jacques Lorthé
Secretary of Interior and national Defence
In office February 7, 1986 – March 24, 1986
President	Henri Namphy
Personal details
Born	July 28, 1940 Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Nationality	Haitian
Spouse(s)	Maryse Armand
Occupation	Military

Hérard Abraham (born July 28, 1940) is a former Haitian political figure.

Life

Abraham enlisted in the Haitian army as a young man. He rose to the rank of lieutenant general and became one of the few military members in the inner circle of President Jean-Claude Duvalier. Abraham supported the 1986 coup against Duvalier, and served as foreign minister for the first time under Henri Namphy from 1987 to 1988.^[1] He became acting President of Haiti on March 10, 1990 after street protests forced President Prosper Avril into exile.^[2] He gave up power three days later, becoming the only military leader in Haiti during the twentieth century to give up power voluntarily. In January 1991, Abraham helped to crush a coup attempt by Roger Lafontant.^[3]

In 1991, Abraham retired from the army and moved to the United States. He settled in Miami, Florida and drifted into obscurity. He lived near another former Haitian politician, Gérard Latortue, who would later become prime minister. In February 2004, Abraham made a radio address from Florida calling on President Jean-Bertrand Aristide to resign.

After Aristide's forced exile from the country, a new government needed to be formed. Latortue was eventually chosen for prime minister position, and invited Abraham to return to Haiti and become minister of Interior. Abraham served in that position from March 2004 until a January 31, 2005 cabinet reshuffle, in which he became foreign minister. He held that position until 9 June 2006.

References

1. "REPORT ON THE SITUATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN HAITI", Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
2. "GENERAL STRIKE SHUTS DOWN MUCH OF HAITI CAPITAL". The Boston Globe. December 8, 1987.
3. http://www.haitiwebs.com/forums/herard_abraham/44253-chapter_liv_herard_abraham_3_10_1990_3_13_1990_a.html