101-411: Desiré Delano Bouterse ( Dutch pronunciation: [ˈdeːsi ˈbʌutərsə] ; born 13 October 1945) is a Surinamese military officer, politician, convicted murderer, and drug trafficker who served as President of Suriname from 2010 to 2020. From 1980 to 1987, he was Suriname's de facto leader after conducting a military coup and establishing a period of military rule . In 1987, Bouterse founded
202-505: A guerrilla Maroon group better known as the Jungle Commando , led by Bouterse's former bodyguard Ronnie Brunswijk . On 29 November 1986, members of the national military massacred at least 39 villagers of Moiwana, Brunswijk's home village, killing mostly women and children. The soldiers also burned down the village dwellings, including Brunswijk's house. The survivors fled as refugees with hundreds of other inland inhabitants across
303-811: A non-commissioned officer at the Koninklijke Militaire School in Weert . In this period, Bouterse became known as an athlete, and he was chosen as head of the basketball team. In 1970, Bouterse married Ingrid Figueira, whom he had known as a teenager in Suriname. They had two children: Peggy and Dino . Shortly after the marriage, Bouterse was assigned to the Dutch military base in Seedorf , Germany. On 11 November 1975, Bouterse returned with his family to Suriname after it gained independence from
404-511: A British fleet sailing to meet Lord Willoughby in Barbados , which at the time was the seat of English colonial government in the region, again spelled the name of the colony Surinam . A 1663 royal charter said the region around the river was "called Serrinam also Surrinam". As a result of the Surrinam spelling, 19th-century British sources offered the folk etymology Surryham , saying it
505-661: A five-year term. In the elections held on Tuesday 25 May 2010, the Megacombinatie won 23 of the National Assembly seats, followed by Nationale Front with 20 seats. A much smaller number, important for coalition-building, went to the "A-combinatie" and to the Volksalliantie. The parties held negotiations to form coalitions. Elections were held on 25 May 2015, and the National Assembly again elected Dési Bouterse as president. The president of Suriname
606-538: A large part of the Surinamese community." The chair of the Surinamese parliament, Jennifer Simons, who is also a member of Bouterse's party, voted for the law. The controversial law granted amnesty to Bouterse and the 24 other suspects. This could also mean that the ongoing December Murders trial will face an immediate stop. On 13 April 2012, the public prosecutor in the December Murders trial formulated
707-432: A law in the parliament which in effect would grant amnesty for the suspects in the December Murders, including Dési Bouterse. The amnesty law would also cause immediate termination of the trial. The parliamentary voting was to be held on 23 March, the same day Ruben Rozendaal testified in court that Bouterse personally killed two of the fifteen men: union leader Cyrill Daal and military member Soerindre Rambocus. That day there
808-531: A letter, Dino Bouterse insisted he had no terrorist leanings and was motivated only by profit. Bouterse was arrested after an elaborate international sting in which he was recorded meeting in Greece and Panama with DEA operatives posing as Hezbollah and Mexican drug traffickers. After the return of democratic government, led in succession by Ronald Venetiaan , Jules Wijdenbosch , and Venetiaan again, Bouterse tried repeatedly to return to power through elections. In
909-505: A majority; proportionally, its Muslim and Hindu populations are some of the largest in the Americas. Most people live along the northern coast, centered around Paramaribo, making Suriname one of the least densely populated countries on Earth . The name Suriname may derive from an indigenous people called Surinen , who inhabited the area at the time of European contact. The suffix -ame, common in Surinamese river and place names (see also
1010-450: A minimum wage and a national pension scheme. His cabinet consisted of the following members: The first minister of Spatial Planning Martinus Sastroredjo (KTPI) had been relieved of his duties at the end of 2010 due to his life partner asking for a piece of land with the help of a ministry official. He was succeeded by Simon Martosatiman , also a member of the political party KTPI . The second minister to leave office for personal reasons
1111-657: A second meeting toward this goal on 3–4 March 2011, in Dover, Barbados. Their representatives reviewed issues of agriculture, trade, investment, as well as international transport. In the late 2000s, Suriname intensified development cooperation with other developing countries. China's South-South cooperation with Suriname has included a number of large-scale infrastructure projects, including port rehabilitation and road construction. Brazil signed agreements to cooperate with Suriname in education, health, agriculture, and energy production. The Armed Forces of Suriname have three branches:
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#17327987311811212-578: A senior role. On 29 August 2013, Dino was arrested by the U.S. government 's Drug Enforcement Administration in Panama while traveling on a diplomatic passport. He was extradited to the United States and taken to New York City . He was prosecuted and in March 2015, he was sentenced to a 16-year prison term on convictions of drug smuggling and trying to help Hezbollah set up a base in Suriname. In
1313-568: A talkshow host. Bouterse installed Gillmore Hoefdraad , a former International Monetary Fund (IMF) official, as the new governor of the Central Bank of Suriname. After the 2015 Surinamese legislative election , Bouterse's NDP won 26 seats; he was reelected unopposed on 14 July 2015. Suriname Suriname ( / ˈ s ʊər ɪ n æ m , - n ɑː m / SOOR -in- A(H)M , Dutch: [syːriˈnaːmə] , Sranan Tongo: [sraˈnãŋ] ), officially
1414-611: A young boy he moved from Domburg to the capital Paramaribo , where he was raised by an aunt. He attended St. Jozefschool (a boarding school) and later the Middelbare Handelsschool (roughly equivalent to junior secondary general education), which he did not finish. In 1968, Bouterse moved to the Netherlands, where he was conscripted into the armed forces of the Netherlands ( Nederlandse Krijgsmacht ). After completing his military service, he signed up to train as
1515-583: Is "pale-skinned negroes"), and in Dutch as Marrons . The Maroons gradually developed several independent tribes through a process of ethnogenesis , as they were made up of slaves from different African ethnicities. These tribes include the Saramaka , Paramaka , Ndyuka or Aukan, Kwinti , Aluku or Boni, and Matawai . The Maroons often raided plantations to recruit new members from the slaves and capture women, as well as to acquire weapons, food, and supplies. They sometimes killed planters and their families in
1616-658: Is a member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the United Nations , and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation . Situated slightly north of the equator , over 90% of its territory is covered by rainforests , the highest proportion of forest cover in the world . Suriname is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north, French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west, and Brazil to
1717-410: Is elected for a five-year term by a two-thirds majority of the National Assembly. If at least two-thirds of the National Assembly cannot agree to vote for one presidential candidate, a People's Assembly is formed from all National Assembly delegates and regional and municipal representatives who were elected by popular vote in the most recent national election. The president may be elected by a majority of
1818-617: Is headed by the High Court of Justice of Suriname (Supreme Court). This court supervises the magistrate courts. Members are appointed for life by the president in consultation with the National Assembly, the State Advisory Council, and the National Order of Private Attorneys. Due to Suriname's Dutch colonial history, Suriname had a long-standing special relationship with the Netherlands. In 1999, Dési Bouterse
1919-417: Is the official and prevailing language of government, business, media, and education; an estimated 60% of the population speaks Dutch as a native language. Sranan Tongo , an English-based creole language , is a widely used lingua franca . Most Surinamese are descendants of slaves and indentured labourers brought from Africa and Asia by the Dutch. Suriname is highly diverse, with no ethnic group forming
2020-558: The 1977 elections , in which Arron won a further term, and the discontent was such that a large portion of the population fled to the Netherlands, joining the already significant Surinamese community there. On 25 February 1980, a military coup overthrew Arron's government. It was initiated by a group of 16 sergeants, led by Dési Bouterse . Opponents of the military regime attempted counter-coups in April 1980, August 1980, 15 March 1981, and again on 12 March 1982. The first counter attempt
2121-481: The 2010 Surinamese legislative election , Bouterse and his coalition, the Mega Combination ( Mega Combinatie ) became the largest bloc in the National Assembly, gaining 23 of the 51 seats. The coalition failed to gain an absolute majority in the parliament by three seats (the half of 50 plus 1 was needed). In order to secure the necessary two-thirds supermajority to become president, Bouterse cooperated with
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#17327987311812222-562: The Arawaks , Caribs , and Wayana . Europeans arrived and contested the area in the 16th century, with the Dutch controlling much of the country's current territory by the late 17th century. Under Dutch rule , Suriname was a lucrative plantation colony focused mostly on sugar ; its economy was driven by African slave labour until the abolition of slavery in 1863, after which indentured servants were recruited mostly from British India and
2323-586: The Coppename River ), may come from aima or eima , meaning river or creek mouth, in Lokono , an Arawak language spoken in the country. The earliest European sources give variants of "Suriname" as the name of the river on which colonies were eventually founded. Lawrence Kemys wrote in his Relation of the Second Voyage to Guiana of passing a river called " Shurinama " as he travelled along
2424-570: The Dutch East Indies . In 1954, Suriname became a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands . On 25 November 1975, it became independent following negotiations with the Dutch government. Suriname continues to maintain close diplomatic, economic, and cultural ties with the Netherlands. Suriname's culture and society strongly reflect the legacy of Dutch colonial rule. It is the only sovereign nation outside Europe where Dutch
2525-550: The Groep van zestien (Group of Sixteen), led by Bouterse. After the coup, he became chairman of the National Military Council of Suriname and as such the de facto dictator of Suriname. From then until 1988, Bouterse was the power behind puppet presidents installed by him. The military takeover, which was widely supported by the population, was officially aimed at fighting corruption and unemployment (which at
2626-409: The Jungle Commando , and a number of Bouterse's opponents were murdered or disappeared . Matters came to a head when Bouterse was detained at Schiphol Airport while returning to Suriname on a personal trip to Ghana and Switzerland . Angered that Shankar, who happened to be on the same flight to Amsterdam, didn't protest, Bouterse resigned as army commander. The following day, Ivan Graanoogst , who
2727-517: The Marowijne River to neighbouring French Guiana . The human rights organisation 'Moiwana '86' has committed itself to achieving justice with regard to this event. It is seeking to hold military officers and the government as responsible for the massacre. Herman Gooding, a chief inspector of the police, was assassinated in August 1990 during his investigation of the massacre. Reportedly he
2828-657: The National Democratic Party (NDP). On 25 May 2010 , Bouterse's political alliance, the Megacombinatie ("Mega combination"), which included the NDP, won the parliamentary elections, and on 19 July 2010 , Bouterse was elected as President of Suriname with 36 of 50 parliament votes. He was inaugurated on 12 August 2010. Bouterse is a controversial figure, held responsible by some for numerous human rights violations committed during his military rule in
2929-591: The Netherlands Antilles and the Netherlands. In this construction, the Netherlands retained control of its defense and foreign affairs. In 1974, the local government, led by the National Party of Suriname (NPS) (whose membership was largely Creole , meaning ethnically African or mixed African-European), started negotiations with the Dutch government leading towards full independence; in contrast to Indonesia 's earlier war for independence from
3030-583: The Netherlands government-in-exile , the United States sent 2,000 soldiers to Suriname to protect the bauxite mines to support the Allies' war effort. In 1942, the Dutch government-in-exile began to review the relations between the Netherlands and its colonies in terms of the post-war period. In 1954, Suriname became one of the constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands , along with
3131-604: The Republic of Suriname ( Dutch : Republiek Suriname [reːpyˈblik syːriˈnaːmə] ), is a country in northern South America , sometimes considered part of the Caribbean and the West Indies . Suriname is a developing country with a medium level of human development ; its economy is heavily dependent on its abundant natural resources, namely bauxite , gold , petroleum , and agricultural products . Suriname
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3232-643: The Second Anglo-Dutch War , the Dutch decided to keep the nascent plantation colony of Surinam they had gained from the English. In return the English kept New Amsterdam , the main city of the former colony of New Netherland in North America on the mid-Atlantic coast. The British renamed it New York , after the Duke of York who would later become King James II of England . In 1683,
3333-601: The Society of Suriname was founded by the city of Amsterdam , the Van Aerssen van Sommelsdijck family, and the Dutch West India Company . The society was chartered to manage and defend the colony. The planters of the colony relied heavily on African slaves to cultivate, harvest and process the commodity crops of coffee, cocoa, sugar cane and cotton plantations along the rivers. Planters' treatment of
3434-639: The Surinaamse Krijgsmacht (SKM):, Surinamese Armed Forces. After the 1980 overthrow of the government, the SKM was rebranded as the Nationaal Leger (NL), National Army. In 1965, the Dutch and Americans used Suriname's Coronie site for multiple Nike Apache sounding rocket launches. Dino Bouterse Dino Delano Bouterse (born 27 September 1972) is the son of the former president of Suriname , Dési Bouterse . The former head of
3535-619: The United Nations Convention against illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances , since Bouterse was convicted before his election as head of state in 2010, he has no immunity under international law. This was confirmed by various specialists in international law. In April 2012, Ruben Rozendaal , former fellow soldier of Bouterse and also a suspect in the December 1982 murders, said that in
3636-516: The coup attempt on 11 March 1982, were brought to Fort Zeelandia (then Bouterse's headquarters), where they were tortured and shot dead. These killings are known as the December murders . The 15 victims were: On 10 December 1982 Bouterse stated on STVS television channel that 15 arrested "suspects who were plotting to overthrow the government later in December were shot dead while trying to flee Fort Zeelandia". Years later Bouterse said that he
3737-520: The summary executions of political opponents. After the December murders of fifteen opponents in 1982, Bouterse closed the University of Suriname . He established diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union , Cuba and North Korea , but his regime did not show any Communist orientation. The Netherlands suspended development aid to its former colony, destabilizing the Surinamese economy. At
3838-656: The 1980s and early 1990s, Bouterse supplied the FARC of Colombia with weapons in exchange for cocaine. A 2006 document from the American embassy reported a possible connection between Bouterse and the FARC. Bouterse's son Dino Bouterse was sentenced in 2005 to eight years' imprisonment in a Surinamese court for narcotics trafficking, weapons trafficking, and theft of luxury vehicles. He was released early for good behavior. The government's counter-terrorism department appointed him to
3939-661: The 1980s. Most notable were the December murders in 1982. He was prosecuted for the murders, and a trial was initiated, but the National Assembly extended amnesty to him in 2012. After the trial was forced to continue, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison on 29 November 2019. He is also suspected of having directed the Moiwana massacre in 1986 against a village of Maroons during the Surinamese Interior War which pitted his government first against
4040-761: The Army, the Air Force, and the Navy. The president of the Republic is the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces ( Opperbevelhebber van de Strijdkrachten ). The president is assisted by the minister of defence. Beneath the president and minister of defence is the commander of the armed forces ( Bevelhebber van de Strijdkrachten ). The military branches and regional military commands report to
4141-565: The British, who then ruled the area). In addition, during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, small numbers of laborers, mostly men, were recruited from China and the Middle East. Although Suriname's population remains relatively small, because of this complex colonization and exploitation, it is one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse countries in the world. During World War II , on 23 November 1941, under an agreement with
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4242-475: The Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte said it was "indigestible" that amnesty was granted to the suspects in this stage of the trial (the amnesty law was passed two months before the verdict in the trial). The amnesty law was later overturned by a court ruling, and in November 2019 the military court convicted Bouterse to 20 years imprisonment for the December killings. On 22 January 2020, Bouterse appeared before
4343-578: The Maroons sovereign status and trade rights in their inland territories, giving them autonomy. From 1861 to 1863, with the American Civil War underway, and enslaved people escaping to Northern territory controlled by the Union , United States President Abraham Lincoln and his administration looked abroad for places to relocate people who were freed from enslavement and who wanted to leave
4444-637: The NPS) as Prime Minister. In the years leading up to independence, nearly one-third of the population of Suriname emigrated to the Netherlands, amidst concern that the new country would fare worse under independence than it had as a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Surinamese politics did degenerate into ethnic polarisation and corruption soon after independence, with the NPS using Dutch aid money for partisan purposes. Its leaders were accused of fraud in
4545-486: The Netherlands , under a false passport. He was sentenced in 2005 to eight years' imprisonment for international drug and arms trafficking . On August 29, 2013, Bouterse was arrested by the DEA in Panama while traveling on a diplomatic passport. He was extradited to the United States and taken to New York City, where the U.S. attorney for Manhattan, Preet Bharara , sought the maximum sentence available but only obtained
4646-424: The Netherlands, the path toward Suriname's independence had been an initiative of the then left-wing Dutch government . Independence was granted on 25 November 1975. A large part of Suriname's economy for the first decade following independence was fueled by foreign aid provided by the Dutch government. The first President of the country was Johan Ferrier , the former governor, with Henck Arron (the then leader of
4747-573: The Netherlands. He wanted to help establish the Surinamese army. In 1979, Bouterse accepted a request by Roy Horb to become chairman of a new Surinamese military union (union BoMiKa; Bond voor Militair Kader ). On 25 February 1980, Bouterse, Horb, and fourteen other sergeants overthrew the Henck Arron government with a violent military coup d'état , now known as the Sergeants Coup . The sergeants who accomplished this coup were known as
4848-477: The People's Assembly called for the special election. As head of government, the president appoints a sixteen-minister cabinet. A vice president is normally elected for a five-year term at the same time as the president, by a simple majority in the National Assembly or People's Assembly. There is no constitutional provision for removal or replacement of the president, except in the case of resignation. The judiciary
4949-473: The Revolution". Annually, on 25 February, the coup is commemorated. The military dictatorship imposed an evening curfew , and curtailed freedom of press (only one newspaper, de Ware Tijd , was allowed to continue publishing, but was subject to heavy censorship ). In 1985, it banned political parties and restricted freedom of assembly . It was characterized by a high level of government corruption and
5050-605: The Suriname Anti-Terrorist Unit, he is currently serving a 16-year sentence in the United States after being convicted in Manhattan , New York , on charges of drug smuggling and trying to help Hezbollah set up a base in Suriname and Latin America . In July 2003, Bouterse was arrested on charges of large-scale theft of weapons in Suriname, when he attempted to enter Curaçao , part of the Kingdom of
5151-553: The Surinamese parliament, that: "The December Murders trial is a political trial which has the purpose to eliminate Bouterse from the political arena and therefore the Amnesty Act is needed." On 1 February 2012, Ruben Rozendaal, one of the military suspects, announced in local media that it was time for him to come forward with the truth about the December Murders because he wanted to clear his name before he died: he
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#17327987311815252-409: The U.S. Department of Defense. Suriname has been a member of The Forum of Small States (FOSS) since the group's founding in 1992. European Union relations and cooperation with Suriname are carried out both on a bilateral and a regional basis. There are ongoing EU- Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) and EU- CARIFORUM dialogues. Suriname is party to the Cotonou Agreement ,
5353-527: The United States. It opened negotiations with the Dutch government regarding African American emigration to and colonization of the Dutch colony of Suriname . Nothing came of the idea, which was dropped after 1864. The Netherlands abolished slavery in Suriname in 1863, under a gradual process that required slaves to work on plantations for 10 transition years for minimal pay, which was considered as partial compensation for their masters. After that transition period expired in 1873, most freedmen largely abandoned
5454-463: The capital Paramaribo. Protesters accused the government of President Chan Santokhi of corruption. They stormed the National Assembly, demanding the government to resign. However, the government condemned the protests. The Republic of Suriname is a representative democratic republic, based on the Constitution of 1987 . The legislative branch of government consists of a 51-member unicameral National Assembly , simultaneously and popularly elected for
5555-456: The case, Patrick van Loon, was bribed by the Dutch government. According to the United States diplomatic cables leak released in 2011, Bouterse was active in the drug trade until 2006. Europol has issued a warrant for his arrest. At that time, he could not be arrested in Suriname, because he was still president. As he was convicted of the drug offense before his election in 2010 as head of state, he risked arrest if he left Suriname. In 2023, he
5656-402: The chief figure. Since the trial began, Bouterse never went to court. In an interview with Al Jazeera in 2009, Bouterse said that the trial was being used by his political opponents to prevent him from running for office again and for their own political gain. In April 2012, two months before the verdict in the trial was expected, Bouterse's party member Andre Misiekaba said, during a debate in
5757-412: The coast. In 1598, a fleet of three Dutch ships visiting the Wild Coast mention passing the river " Surinamo ". In 1617, a Dutch notary spelled the name of the river on which a Dutch trading post had existed three years earlier as " Surrenant ". British settlers, who in 1630 founded the first European colony at Marshall's Creek along the Suriname River, spelled the name " Surinam "; this would long remain
5858-400: The commander. After the creation of the Statute of the Kingdom of the Netherlands , the Royal Netherlands Army was entrusted with the defense of Suriname, while the defense of the Netherlands Antilles was the responsibility of the Royal Netherlands Navy . The army set up a separate Troepenmacht in Suriname (Forces in Suriname, TRIS). Upon independence in 1975, this force was turned into
5959-423: The country's English name was changed from "Surinam" to "Suriname" in January 1978, but "Surinam" can still be found in English, such as Surinam Airways and the Surinam toad . The older English name is reflected in the English pronunciation, / ˈ sj ʊər ɪ n æ m , - n ɑː m / . In Dutch , the official language of Suriname, the pronunciation is [ˌsyːriˈnaːmə] , with a schwa terminal vowel and
6060-407: The country's administrative and constitutional affairs; Errol Alibux , who advises the president about foreign affairs and international laws; Eddy Jozefzoon , who deals with the country's social and educational issues; and Andy Rusland , who oversees the nation's economy. The president appointed Cliffton Limburg as his press secretary and cabinet's spokesman; he was a propagandist for Bouterse and
6161-426: The court, in military uniform, to appeal this decision. On 20 December 2023, Suriname's Supreme Court upheld Bouterse's conviction. He could still request a pardon to Suriname's president Chan Santokhi , who investigated the December killings as a police commissioner, and later pushed for the investigation to continue as justice minister . On 8 January 2024, Bouterse filed another appeal against his conviction, which
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#17327987311816262-530: The demanded sentence against five suspects, including the main suspect, Bouterse. His defense lawyer, Irwin Kanhai, requested that the trial would be declared moot because of the amnesty law. On 11 May 2012, the court decided whether the trial would continue or not. Edgar Ritfeld, one of the 25 suspects, said that he did not want amnesty because he knows he is innocent. He wanted the trial to be continued so that his innocence could be proven. Ruben Rozendaal and Wim Carbiere, both suspects, also asked for continuation of
6363-436: The forefathers") at the mouth of the Marowijne River . While the larger Arawak and Carib tribes lived along the coast and savanna, smaller groups of indigenous people lived in the inland rainforest, such as the Akurio , Trió , Warao , and Wayana . Beginning in the 16th century, French , Spanish and English explorers visited the area. A century later, Dutch and English settlers established plantation colonies along
6464-425: The government lifted the ban on opposition parties, beginning a transition to civilian rule. A new constitution was overwhelmingly approved in a 30 September 1987 referendum . Elections were held two months later , and Ramsewak Shankar , an opponent of Bouterse, was elected president in January 1988. However, Bouterse retained much power as army commander. He scuttled a number of government efforts to negotiate with
6565-431: The late 1980s. National elections were held in 1987. The National Assembly adopted a new constitution that allowed Bouterse to remain in charge of the army. Dissatisfied with the government, Bouterse summarily dismissed the ministers in 1990, by telephone. This event became popularly known as the "Telephone Coup". His power began to wane after the 1991 elections. At the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul , Suriname became
6666-406: The law. After passage of the amnesty law, the Netherlands immediately stopped the 20 million euro aid set aside for Suriname. President Bouterse was unmoved by this decision, saying, "I never asked you for 20 million euros. We have economic reserves of almost 800 million dollars". The Dutch Labour Party and the then ruling People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) believed that this sanction
6767-399: The main stress on the third syllable. Indigenous settlement of Suriname dates back to 3,000 BC. The largest tribes were the Arawak , a nomadic coastal tribe that lived from hunting and fishing. They were the first inhabitants in the area. The Carib also settled in the area and conquered the Arawak by using their superior sailing ships. They settled in Galibi ( Kupali Yumï , meaning "tree of
6868-419: The many rivers in the fertile Guiana plains. The earliest documented colony in Guiana was an English settlement named Marshall's Creek along the Suriname River. After that, there was another short-lived English colony called Surinam that lasted from 1650 to 1667. Disputes arose between the Dutch and the English for control of this territory. In 1667, during negotiations leading to the Treaty of Breda after
6969-412: The maroon guerrilla group Jungle Commando , led by his former bodyguard, Ronnie Brunswijk , and then against the indigenous group Tucayana Amazonas . On 16 July 1999, Bouterse was sentenced in absentia in the Netherlands to 11 years' imprisonment after being convicted of trafficking 474 kg (1,045 lb) of cocaine . Bouterse always maintained his innocence. He claimed the star witness in
7070-483: The murder of Herman Gooding was continuing. In August 2005, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights ordered Suriname to pay US$ 3 million in compensation to 130 survivors of the massacre, and to establish a US$ 1.2 million fund for the development of Moiwana. The Inter-American Court of Human rights has judged that the responsible persons have to be prosecuted and punished; however, previous governments, including Bouterse's government, have failed to do so. Later in 1985,
7171-463: The newly formed cabinet, two deputy ministers were installed. Mahinder Gopie had served as the secretary of the president and was made the deputy minister of Regional Development. Abigail Lie A Kwie , a loyalist of Pertjajah Luhur chairman Paul Somohardjo , started as the deputy minister of Public Works & Traffic, but was moved in October 2012 to the ministry of Agriculture. The president's four top advisors are Jules Wijdenbosch , who handles
7272-422: The next three days , along with Rambocus and Jiwansingh Sheombar (who was also involved in the fourth counter-coup attempt). The brutal civil war between the Suriname army and Maroons loyal to rebel leader Ronnie Brunswijk , begun in 1986, continued and its effects further weakened Bouterse's position during the 1990s. Due to the civil war, more than 10,000 Surinamese, mostly Maroons, fled to French Guiana in
7373-739: The partnership agreement among the members of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States and the European Union. On 17 February 2005, the leaders of Barbados and Suriname signed the "Agreement for the deepening of bilateral cooperation between the Government of Barbados and the Government of the Republic of Suriname." On 23–24 April 2009, both nations formed a Joint Commission in Paramaribo , Suriname, to improve relations and to expand into various areas of cooperation. They held
7474-558: The party of his former opponent, Ronnie Brunswijk , which had 7 seats; and the Peoples Alliance party ( Volks Alliantie ) of Paul Somohardjo (6 seats), who had left the ruling New Front party before the election. On 19 July 2010, Bouterse was elected president with 36 of the 51 votes; he assumed office on 12 August 2010. His running mate Robert Ameerali became Vice President of Suriname . During his presidency Dési Bouterse introduced universal health care, free school meals,
7575-408: The plantations where they had worked for several generations in favor of the capital city, Paramaribo . Some of them were able to purchase the plantations they worked on, especially in the district of Para and Coronie. Their descendants still live on those grounds today. Several plantation owners did not pay their former enslaved workers the pay they owed them for the ten years following 1863. They paid
7676-582: The president. Bouterse was elected as president of Suriname in 2010. The Netherlands in July 2014 dropped Suriname as a member of its development program. Since 1991, the United States has maintained positive relations with Suriname. The two countries work together through the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI) and the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Suriname also receives military funding from
7777-471: The raids. Colonists built defenses, which were significant enough that they were shown on 18th-century maps. The colonists also mounted armed campaigns against the Maroons, who generally escaped through the rainforest, which they knew much better than the colonists did. To end hostilities, in the 18th century, the European colonial authorities signed several peace treaties with different tribes. They granted
7878-514: The same time, the fall in bauxite prices, Suriname's main export, accentuated the economic crisis. The regime was quickly confronted with several uprisings, sometimes led by part of the army, sometimes by civilians. In 1983, in the wake of the U.S. invasion of Grenada , Suriname drew closer to Washington and expelled Cuban diplomats, perhaps for fear of U.S. aggression. On 7 and 8 December 1982, fifteen prominent Surinamese men who had criticized Bouterse's military dictatorship or were connected with
7979-724: The slaves was notoriously brutal even by the standards of the time —historian C. R. Boxer wrote that "man's inhumanity to man just about reached its limits in Surinam" —and many slaves escaped the plantations. In November 1795, the Society was nationalized by the Batavian Republic and from then on the Batavian Republic and its legal successors (the Kingdom of Holland and the Kingdom of the Netherlands) governed
8080-472: The smallest independent South American state to win its first ever Olympic medal as Anthony Nesty won gold in the 100-metre butterfly . The first half of 1999 was marked by non-violent national protests against poor general economic and social conditions. By mid-year, the Netherlands tried Bouterse in absentia on drug-smuggling charges. He was convicted and sentenced to prison but remained in Suriname. On 19 July 2010, Bouterse returned to power when he
8181-464: The south. It is the smallest country in South America by both population and territory, with around 612,985 inhabitants in an area of approximately 163,820 square kilometers (63,251 square miles). The capital and largest city is Paramaribo , which is home to roughly half the population. Suriname was inhabited as early as the fourth millennium BC by various indigenous peoples , including
8282-421: The standard spelling in English. The Dutch navigator David Pietersz. de Vries wrote of travelling up the " Sername " river in 1634 until he encountered the English colony there; the terminal vowel remained in future Dutch spellings and pronunciations. The river was called Soronama in a 1640 Spanish manuscript entitled "General Description of All His Majesty's Dominions in America". In 1653, instructions given to
8383-462: The star witness in his case, Patrick van Loon, was bribed by the Dutch government. Bouterse is believed by law enforcement officials to have been the leader of the so-called Suri kartel , which is held responsible for the trafficking and smuggling of large amounts of cocaine from Suriname and Brazil into Europe (especially into the Netherlands) in the 1980s and 90s. Since 1999 Europol has maintained an international warrant for his arrest. According to
8484-503: The territory as a national colony – barring two periods of British occupation, between 1799 and 1802, and between 1804 and 1816. With the help of the native South Americans living in the adjoining rain forests, runaway slaves established a new and unique culture in the interior that was highly successful in its own right. They were known collectively in English as Maroons , in French as Nèg'Marrons (literally meaning "brown negroes", that
8585-477: The time affected 18 per cent of the working population), and at restoring order in public affairs. However, "the political plans were vague, no ideological discussions had taken place in preparation for the coup," notes historian Rosemarijn Hoefte. On the day of the coup, Bouterse's soldiers burned down the Central Police Station of Suriname. The remains of this building now form the "monument of
8686-591: The trial. The controversial amnesty law was protested both nationally and internationally. Organizations such as the United Nations , Human Rights Watch , Amnesty International , Reporters Without Borders and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights condemned the law and urged the Surinamese judges and the Public Prosecutor's Office to continue the trial. On 19 April 2012, Human Rights Watch demanded an immediate retraction of
8787-415: The workers with the property rights of the ground of the plantation in order to escape their debt to the workers. As a plantation colony, Suriname had an economy dependent on labor-intensive commodity crops. To make up for a shortage of labor, the Dutch recruited and transported contract or indentured laborers from the Dutch East Indies (modern Indonesia) and India (the latter through an arrangement with
8888-569: Was Miss Wonnie Boedhoe , the first minister of Finance & Planning of this cabinet. By the end of April 2011, several ministers had been dismissed due to political changes in the cabinet. They included Paul Abena (Sport- & Youth Affairs), Martin Misiedjan (Justice & Police), Celsius Waterberg (Public Health), Linus Diko (Regional Development), and Simon Martosatiman . The ministers Raymond Sapoen , Michael Miskin and Ginmardo Kromosoeto were assigned to new posts. In addition to
8989-549: Was convicted and sentenced in absentia in the Netherlands to 11 years of imprisonment for drug trafficking. He was the main suspect in the court case concerning the December murders, the 1982 assassination of opponents of military rule in Fort Zeelandia , Paramaribo. He served as president between 2010 and 2020. These two cases still strain relations between the Netherlands and Suriname. The Dutch government stated during that time that it would maintain limited contact with
9090-553: Was convicted by a Surinamese court on 29 November 2019 and given a 20-year sentence for his role in the 1982 killings. After winning the 2020 elections , Chan Santokhi was the sole nomination for president of Suriname . On 13 July, Santokhi was elected president by acclamation in an uncontested election . He was inaugurated on 16 July in a ceremony without public attendance due to the COVID-19 pandemic . In February 2023, there were heavy protests against rising living costs in
9191-417: Was elected as the president of Suriname. Before his election in 2010, he, along with 24 others, had been charged with the murders of 15 prominent dissidents in the December murders . However, in 2012, two months before the verdict in the trial, the National Assembly extended its amnesty law and provided Bouterse and the others with amnesty of these charges. He was reelected on 14 July 2015. However, Bouterse
9292-440: Was forced out of his car near Fort Zeelandia and shot in the head. His body was left outside the office of Desi Bouterse. Other police investigators fled the country for safety, stalling the progress of the investigation. The government has stated that it is still continuing its investigation of the massacre. It claimed that prospective witnesses had either moved, died, or were uncooperative. It has also said that an investigation of
9393-579: Was led by Fred Ormskerk , the second by Marxist-Leninists , the third by Wilfred Hawker , and the fourth by Surendre Rambocus . Hawker escaped from prison during the fourth counter-coup attempt, but he was captured and summarily executed. Between 2 am and 5 am on 7 December 1982, the military, under Bouterse's leadership, rounded up 13 prominent citizens who had criticized the military dictatorship and held them at Fort Zeelandia in Paramaribo. The dictatorship had all these men executed over
9494-458: Was no quorum in the parliament, and the voting did not continue. On 4 April 2012, after three days of debate, the Assembly passed the amnesty law with 28 votes in favor and 12 votes opposed. The political parties Nieuw Suriname and BEP, both members of Bouterse's coalition, left the room when the voting started because they "did not believe that they should support a law which is being opposed by
9595-413: Was not enough. They called for more penalties such as economic sanctions, expulsion of the Surinamese ambassador (who is the daughter of MP Rashied Doekhi , one of the 28 MPs who voted in favour of the law), and a ban on European travel for all the Surinamese parliamentarians who voted for the amnesty law. Dutch minister of foreign affairs Uri Rosenthal did not agree with these requests. On 8 April 2012,
9696-400: Was not present at the killings. In 2000 he stated that the decision for these killings was made by the commander of the battalion, Paul Bhagwandas , who died in 1996. Bouterse accepted political responsibility as leader, but still denied any direct involvement. The trials for the December murders did not take place in Suriname until 30 November 2007. Among the 25 indicted suspects, Bouterse is
9797-642: Was rejected the next day by the Attorney-General. On 12 January, a manhunt was launched against Bouterse after he failed to turn himself in to prison authorities. Moiwana is a Maroon village in the Marowijne District in the east of Suriname. The Suriname Guerrilla War (1986–1990), also known as a civil war, was between the Surinamese military regime, headed by Dési Bouterse, and the Surinamese Liberation Army,
9898-558: Was sentenced to twenty years' imprisonment for the 1982 murders of fifteen political dissidents. He was reported missing by the Surinamese authorities in January 2024 after refusing to report to prison. He is currently considered a fugitive. Bouterse was born on 13 October 1945 in Domburg , located in Suriname's Wanica District . He was born in a Multiracial family of Amerindian , African , Dutch , French , and Chinese ancestry. As
9999-526: Was serving as acting army commander, called Shankar and forced his resignation. By all accounts, however, Bouterse was the mastermind of what became known as the Telephone Coup . A year later, new elections were held that returned the country to civilian rule. On 16 July 1999, Bouterse was convicted in absentia in the Netherlands to 11 years in prison for trafficking 474 kilograms of cocaine . Bouterse always proclaimed his innocence. He claimed that
10100-532: Was suffering from a severe kidney disease, and the doctors had told him he did not have much time left to live. After consulting with his lawyer, Rozendaal decided to withdraw the testimony he had given in 2010. After the last suspects and witnesses in the December Murders case were heard, the court-martial decided to hear Rozendaal again, and this hearing was set for 23 March 2012. On 19 March, five members of Bouterse's political party Megacombinatie and one member of Paul Somohardjo's party Pertjajah Luhur proposed
10201-487: Was the name given to the Suriname River by Lord Willoughby in the 1660s in honour of the Duke of Norfolk and Earl of Surrey when an English colony was established under a grant from King Charles II . This folk etymology can be found repeated in later English-language sources. When the territory was taken over by the Dutch, it became part of a group of colonies known as Dutch Guiana . The official spelling of
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