Williams Régala was a former member of Haiti's National Council of Government. He was a member of the short-lived first council (7 February 1986 – 20 March 1986), as well as the second council, which ruled until 7 February 1988, when Leslie Manigat took office

Régala had been the head of the secret service under Jean-Claude Duvalier, and was Interior Minister under the National Council.[1] When Manigat took office he appointed Régala Minister of Defense.[2]

In a 1996 report, Human Rights Watch wrote that Colonel Régala had "boasted a long history of abuse" as part of Duvalier's secret police.[3] In 1991, under President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, a warrant for Régala's arrest was issued,[3] the Haitian government accused Régala of having ordered the 1987 Election Day massacre.[4] However, Régala fled the country,[3] going to the Dominican Republic, which denied an extradition request from Haiti.[4]

He died on 23 December 2018, at his residence, Port-au-Prince.[5]

References

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  1. ^ Andrew Sullivan, The New Republic, 1 February 1988, Who’s Killing Haiti?
  2. ^ Lundahl, Mats (1989), "History as an Obstacle to Change: The Case of Haiti", Journal of Interamerican Studies and World Affairs, Vol. 31, No. 1/2
  3. ^ a b c Thirst for Justice: A Decade of Impunity in Haiti, Human Rights Watch, September 1996, Vol. 8, No. 7 (B).
  4. ^ a b Jeb Sprague, Paramilitarism and the Assault on Democracy in Haiti (Monthly Review Press, 2012), p. 319.
  5. ^ "Haïti: mort de l'ancien Général Williams Régala". Loop News.