François Duvalier (born April 14, 1907, Port-au-Prince, Haiti—died April 21, 1971, Port-au-Prince) was the president of Haiti whose 14-year regime was of unprecedented duration in that country. Haiti had been deemed the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere. President François Duvalier was popularly elected in 1957, a break in the usual cycle of Presidential succession by military coup, but soon after his election Duvalier proved himself another Haitian dictator according to the US Government. Haiti’s economy was virtually bankrupt. Graft and administrative ineptitude discouraged international lenders from providing Haiti with additional loans. Because Haiti’s economy was dependent on coffee, a wild crop harvested by peasants, its revenues fluctuated wildy. He was succeeded by his son, Jean-Claude Duvalier from 1971-1987.