Luckner Cambronne

Who was Luckner Cambronne?

Luckner Cambronne was a high-ranking political figure in François Duvalier's regime in Haiti.

Cambronne was born the son of a poor preacher and had a career as a bank teller. His alliance with François Duvalier, the Haitian politician who became President of Haiti, led to Cambronne's rising to the number two position in power.

In his political career, Cambronne started out as a messenger for Duvalier. After developing a reputation for enforcement and cruelty, he quickly rose in his administration. He was appointed Minister of the Interior and National Defense under Duvalier.

Cambronne became Duvalier's second in command and head of his fearsome private militia, popularly known as the Tonton Macoutes. Cambronne's reign was characterized by his embezzlement campaign: the use of public funds for his personal businesses and enterprises. As head of the Tonton Macoutes, Cambronne led a campaign of state terrorism against all opposition, having opponents threatened, attacked, murdered and "disappeared".

He was known as the "Vampire of the Caribbean" for his profiting from the sale of Haitian blood and cadavers to the West for medical uses. Critics accused his forces of picking people to murder to provide bodies for such shipments.