Episode 298 - Papa Doc: Haiti’s Vodou Dictator

About this episode

<p>What kind of leader would say of his own people that they are “meant to suffer”? Well, maybe a savage despot who claimed to be the master of the dead – a powerful sorcerer who could use vodou to raise murderous zombies at will, read minds, and even assassinate a US president…</p><p>Francois Duvalier, known as ‘Papa Doc’, is one of the most ruthless dictators of the 20th Century, responsible for the deaths of an estimated 60,000 people, and a reign of terror that tragically reverberates through Haiti to this day.</p><p>This week Hannah and Suruthi find out how the first nation to be founded by slaves gave way to brutal Black nationalism, black magic, and decades of public savagery.</p><p><em>Note for Wondery+ or Amazon Music subscribers downloading our early-release episode: our ShortHand on Haitian Vodou is out on 16 May!</em></p>