IHe had been on the run since 2023. The former president of Suriname, Desi Bouterse, died at the age of 79, the government announced this Wednesday, December 25, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP). “We are awaiting more detailed and definitive information from official channels, but we would like to extend our deepest condolences to the wife, children and other family members,” President Chan Santokhi said in a statement.
Very popular in Suriname, Désiré Delano Bouterse, known as “Desi”, came to power at the age of 34 after a coup d'état in 1980 when he was a sergeant major in the army. Under international pressure, Desi Bouterse initially withdrew from power in 1987 before returning in 1990 after a second coup d'état, this time without bloodshed.
Sentenced to 20 years in prison
Leaving office a year later, Desi Bouterse was finally elected president of Suriname in 2010. A place at the head of the country that he occupied for ten years, until 2020.
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Sentenced on appeal in December 2023 to twenty years in prison for the 1982 executions of imprisoned lawyers, journalists, businessmen and soldiers, he has been in hiding ever since. His body was transported to his residence in the capital, Paramaribo, where his family and party supporters gathered in the early hours of the morning to bid him a final farewell. According to doctor Rabindernath Khoenkhoen, who confirmed the death, it dates back to 6:50 a.m. (9:50 GMT), he told the press.
After the announcement of the death of the former dictator, President Cahn Santokhi called on the supporters of the former head of state to “remain dignified and keep calm, maintain peace and order and pray in the spirit of these special days.”
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