Bernard Coard

Winston Bernard Coard ( born August 10, 1944 in Victoria ) is a Grenadian politician.

Coard was interested in politics from his youth. The visit to the Grenada Boy's Secondary School brought him the acquaintance and friendship with the also learning there Maurice Bishop. Together they founded in 1962 the " Grenada Assembly of Youth After Truth" and held public lectures in Grenada's capital, St. George's.

Coard studied in the U.S. sociology and economics at the private Brandeis University in Waltham (Massachusetts ). In the U.S., he also joined the Communist Party. In 1967 he went to Britain and worked for two years as a teacher in London. At the University of Sussex from 1969 Coard studied Political Economy. During this time he was a member of the Communist Party of Great Britain.

After successful completion of the course Coard returned to the Caribbean. In Jamaica, he worked as a professor at the local University of the West Indies. He was a member of the "Worker 's Liberation League," whose manifesto he co decisive. From 1972 to 1974 he also worked at the " Institute of International Relations."

1976 Coard returned to Grenada back, which was ruled by Sir Eric Gairy and stepped Bishops New Jewel Movement ( NJM ) at. In the elections of 1976 he applied successfully for a seat in Parliament. However, the NJM could not prevail overall and had to settle with the opposition role. In 1977, Coard within the NJM training the left circle " Organization for revolution, Education and Liberation ( OREL ) " (Organization for revolution, education and liberation).

The leadership style of Prime Minister Eric Gairy was marked by intimidation, repression and persecution of opposition, in which he was supported by the Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet. Bishop and Coard took it to contact Fidel Castro in Cuba. During a stay Gairys at the UN in New York, the government was deposed by the NJM in a relatively peaceful revolution on 13 March 1979.

While Bishop 's new prime minister, was Coard held in the newly formed government henceforth the offices of the Deputy Prime Minister or the Minister of Finance, Trade and Planning. Coard, who was not as popular as Bishop in the population, collected in the OREL influential members of the NJM around; In addition to his own wife, Phyllis Coard, who held the office of President of the Women's Federation at the time, these were the Deputy Defense Minister Ewart Layne and Major Leon Cornwall. In addition, Coard used to various communist parties in the region close contact. Finally he joined in 1982 from the Central Committee with the charge of, this would no longer pursue their own revolutionary goals.

In a coup Bishop was overthrown in October 1983 by members of their own motion NJM under Bernard Coard and executed on 19 October 1983. At the request of the "Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States' ( OECS ) began on 25 October 1983 invasion by the U.S., which had the overthrow of his regime and Coards result.

Coard was arrested along with his wife Phyllis Coard and members of the NJM Selwyn Strachan, John Ventour, Liam James and Keith Roberts. In August 1986 he was sentenced by a court to death. This punishment was not consummated and commuted to life imprisonment in jail Richmond Hill Prison in 1991.

In September 2004, Hurricane Ivan destroyed the prison. Many prisoners fled to; Coard stayed. 2007, his sentence was commuted to a 30- year prison sentence (including time already served time). On September 5, 2009 Coard was released from prison.

Bernard Coard has three children: Sola Coard (born 1971 ), Abiola Coard (born 1972 ) and Neto Coard ( born 1979 ).

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