Vivian Barbot Canadian and Quebec political activist Date of Birth: 07.07.1941 Country: Canada

1. Early Life and Family
2. Emigration and Marriage
3. Activist and Educator
4. Political Career in the Bloc Québécois

Early Life and Family

Viviane Barbot was born into Haitian politics. Her father, Clément Barbot, was a close ally of François Duvalier, the first commander of the Tonton Macoutes, a paramilitary force. In 1959, Duvalier ordered Clément's arrest and imprisonment. Upon his release in 1963, Clément led a failed coup attempt and was killed by his former subordinates on Papa Doc's orders. Viviane has since characterized her father as a resistance fighter against the Duvalier dictatorship.

Emigration and Marriage

After her father's assassination, Viviane's family sought refuge in the Argentine embassy. Twenty-one months later, in 1965, they were granted asylum in Argentina. There, Viviane met and married Réal Limberner, a Canadian tourist from Quebec. In 1967, the couple relocated to Central Quebec.

Activist and Educator

In Quebec, Viviane Barbot became actively involved in the teachers' union and feminist movements. From 2001 to 2003, she served as President of the Quebec Women's Federation. She also worked as a French and English teacher at the prestigious Cégep de Victoriaville.

Political Career in the Bloc Québécois

In the mid-2000s, Viviane Barbot joined the leadership of the Bloc Québécois. In 2006, she was elected to the House of Commons of Canada as the Member of Parliament for the Montreal riding of Papineau, defeating former Foreign Minister Pierre Pettigrew of the Liberal Party. In her role as an MP, she specialized in international affairs and advocated for labor rights and Quebec sovereignty.

In the 2008 election, Barbot lost her seat to Liberal candidate Justin Trudeau, who later became Prime Minister of Canada. However, she strengthened her position within the party by becoming Deputy Leader of the Bloc Québécois. Following the party's defeat in the 2011 election, Leader Gilles Duceppe resigned. Barbot served as interim Leader from May to December 2011 before being succeeded by Daniel Paillé. She resigned as Deputy Leader in early 2012 but remained an influential party figure.