Also known as: 1991 coup, Haitian coup of 1991, September 1991 coup, Aristide coup
Last updated: April 26, 2026
On September 30, 1991, the Haitian military overthrew Jean-Bertrand Aristide after only months in office, destroying the first major post-Duvalier democratic opening. The coup produced mass displacement, killings, and repression of Lavalas supporters, while Washington framed the crisis primarily through the lens of migration control. Aristide's 1994 restoration came tied to aid conditionality and structural adjustment, embedding foreign governance more deeply in Haitian political life.
Was overthrown by military coup in September 1991, beginning three years of exile and the repression that followed.
Aristide's government was overthrown by a military coup nine months after his inauguration
The 1994 intervention reversed the 1991 military coup that had overthrown Aristide
The 1991 coup preceded and set conditions for the second removal of Aristide in 2004
The coup produced a refugee crisis that intensified the Haitian diaspora
1991 Coup Haiti
1991 Coup Haiti
The coup and its aftermath embodied structural violence against Haiti's popular classes
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"1991 Coup Haiti." 1991. Rasin.ai, 2026. https://rasin.ai/connections/events/1991-coup-haiti. Accessed 2026-05-05.