Port-Au-Prince , Haiti ( CNN ) -- Jean-Claude `` Baby Doc '' Duvalier , Haiti 's former dictator , returned unexpectedly Sunday to the country after some 25 years in exile , adding uncertainty into an already turbulent situation . Duvalier remained huddled inside his hotel Monday , as the reasons behind his visit and what he hoped to accomplish remained unclear . A scheduled press conference at his hotel was canceled at the last minute because the hotel was not equipped to handle the crowd , and no other location could be found , Henry Robert Sterlin , a Duvalier associate , told reporters . Sterlin said that the former dictator had returned because he was moved by the anniversary of last year 's tragic earthquake , and because he missed his homeland . The associate said he did not know how long Duvalier was staying , and added that he was not afraid to come back . He arrived in the Haitian capital as the nation is grappling with a political crisis , sparked by fraud allegations in a presidential election . Duvalier , wearing a dark suit and tie , greeted supporters at the busy Port-au-Prince airport . He was traveling with his wife . The Duvalier family ruled Haiti for three decades starting in 1957 , when Francois `` Papa Doc '' Duvalier was elected president . He later declared himself president for life . When he died in 1971 , he was succeeded by his 19-year-old son , Jean-Claude `` Baby Doc '' Duvalier . The younger Duvalier held onto power for 15 years before a revolt forced him to flee the country . Widely accused of corruption , Duvalier has been living in France . Upon arriving in Haiti , the former dictator and his wife went to the Karibe Hotel , according to Ryan Flaherty , head of security for Project Medishare . Duvalier 's wife was swarmed by people as she approached the hotel and said that her husband had decided to return to Haiti some time ago , Flaherty reported . `` There 's definite energy in the air right now , '' he said , as he stood with a small crowd of Duvalier supporters outside of the hotel . `` Right now , people do n't know what he 's back here for . People do n't know if he is just visiting , or if he 's here to talk about the earthquake and relief ... or , is he going to make a political move ? '' said Flaherty . `` It 's just going to be interesting to hear what he has to say . '' The United Nations restricted the movement of its staff in Port-au-Prince until further notice , or until the impact of the former leader 's arrival becomes clear , said Patrick Hanson , a security officer for the United Nations in Haiti . While groups of people have gathered in various parts of the city , they are calm and no violence has been reported , he said . Last week , Haiti marked the first anniversary of a devastating earthquake that left more than 200,000 people dead . The January 12 anniversary of the catastrophe , as Haitians call it , comes as the Caribbean nation faces new crises : a cholera epidemic that has killed more than 3,700 people and a political impasse sparked by allegations of election fraud in the nation 's presidential balloting . Haiti 's Provisional Electoral Council released preliminary election results in early December that showed former first lady Mirlande Manigat 31.4 with percent of the vote . Jude Celestin , President Rene Preval 's handpicked successor , came in second with 22.3 percent , while popular musician Michel Martelly was third with 21.8 percent . However , a review of the results , conducted by an Organization of American States monitoring team , showed Martelly winning 22.2 percent of the vote to Celestin 's 21.9 percent , affording Martelly a spot in a runoff election with Manigat . A runoff , originally scheduled for Sunday , was postponed . Haiti 's constitution mandates a new presidential term starting on February 7 , but it is unclear whether that will happen . Anges Pierre-Louis , a local business owner , said Haitians are anxiously waiting to see what the government will do next , now that Duvalier has returned . `` There are so many parties here and so many mixed feelings that it 's really hard to know who to turn to at the moment , '' she said . `` We do n't know what the next week or the next couple of days will bring . '' CNN 's Kim Segal and journalist Jean Junior Osman contributed to this report .
NEW : A planned press conference by Duvalier was canceled . The former dictator 's motives are not immediately clear . Duvalier has been living in exile for about 25 years . `` Baby Doc '' Duvalier led Haiti for some 15 years before a revolt forced him to flee .