Should Haiti kick out former dictator Duvalier?

Haiti has detained former "president-for-life" Jean-Claude Duvalier after his surprise return from exile. What should the authorities do next?

Until his recent return, former Haitian dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier had not stepped foot in his native country for 24 years.
(Image credit: Getty)

Haitian police detained former dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier on Tuesday, though it remains unclear whether he was formally arrested or merely taken into custody for questioning about human rights abuses and embezzlement that occurred under his rule in the '70s and '80s. Duvalier made a surprise return to the Caribbean nation on Sunday after nearly 25 years in exile, saying that he was moved by the suffering caused by last year's earthquake and that he "came to help." What should the Haitian government do with him? (Watch a Russia Today report about Duvalier's return)

Haiti should give Duvalier the boot: The dictator known as "Baby Doc" stole millions from his impoverished people, say the editors of the Los Angeles Times. Haiti needs international aid to rebuild, and letting such a notorious "kleptocrat" stay in the country would send a terrible message to donors looking for accountability. The authorities should "escort the former president to the Port-au-Prince airport and buy him a seat — economy class — back to France."

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