Indonesian Column Revisits Duvalier's Use of Voodoo and Football Ahead of 2026 World Cup
A beritajatim.com opinion piece examines Haiti's dictator François 'Papa Doc' Duvalier and his exploitation of Voodoo mythology and the national football team.
An Indonesian column published by beritajatim.com revisits the history of Haiti's dictator François 'Papa Doc' Duvalier, framing it around the 2026 World Cup and questions about magic in football. According to the piece, Duvalier, born in 1907, ruled Haiti from 1957 until his death in 1971, winning the 1957 presidential election with 678,860 votes against Louis Déjoie's 264,830. The article states he changed the national flag colors from red-and-blue to red-and-black, associated with Voodoo symbolism, and formed the paramilitary Tonton Macoutes. Citing anthropologist Wade Davis, the column reports that secret Voodoo temples featured images of Duvalier as a central figure of worship. It recounts Duvalier's reported claim to have cursed U.S. President John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated on November 22, 1963. The piece says Duvalier became president-for-life after a 1964 referendum and later secured Vatican concessions over appointing clergy. It also describes his heavy investment in football to bolster nationalism, alleging referee bribery during 1970 World Cup qualifying, and Haiti's failure to advance after a 0-1 play-off loss in Jamaica. These claims stem from a single, unverified opinion column and are presented as reported history.