The former president of Suriname, Desi Bouterse, on the run since 2023, died this Wednesday, December 25. The announcement was made by the government.
Former Suriname President Desi Bouterse, convicted of murdering 15 people in 1982 and on the run, has died at the age of 79, the government announced Wednesday.
Presenting its “sincere condolences“to those close to Mr. Bouterse, the current president of Suriname, Chan Santokhi, called on the supporters of “Desi” to “remain dignified and calm, maintain peace and order, and pray in the spirit of these special days“.
Very popular in Suriname, Désiré Delano Bouterse came to power at the age of 34 following a coup in 1980, when he was a sergeant major in the army. He stepped down in 1987 under international pressure, but returned to power in 1990 after a second coup, this time without bloodshed.
Desi Bouterse left office a year later, before being elected president in 2010 and remaining in power until 2020.
In December 2023, he was sentenced on appeal to 20 years in prison for the executions of lawyers, journalists, businessmen and soldiers imprisoned in December 1982. Since then, he has been in hiding.
During the trial, Mr. Bouterse admitted to having heard gunshots on the day of the opponents' execution, but denied having given the order. He claimed that his trial was “political” and that the Netherlands, a former colonial power, had conspired against him.
On Wednesday, 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.
Cocaine trafficking
Doctor Rabindernath Khoenkhoen confirmed “time of death at 6:50 this morning“, 9:50 GMT, in a press statement.”It is with deep sadness that the party learned of the unexpected death of our spiritual father“, wrote on Facebook the president of the National Democratic Party (PND), which he founded, Jennifer Simons.
“We are grateful to him for his vision, his courage, his tireless dedication and his love for our country“, she added. “We will pursue his vision and ideals with determination and keep alive his dream of a stronger and more united Suriname“, continued Ms. Simons, who went to his home to pay tribute to him.
Interpol issued an arrest warrant for Mr. Bouterse in 1999, after he was sentenced to 11 years in prison in 1999 in the Netherlands for cocaine trafficking, although his leadership status protected him from prosecution. extradition at the time.
Mr. Bouterse's trial for the murder of opponents opened in 2007 and lasted 12 years, until his conviction in absentia in 2019, because he never showed up in court.
He managed to have the case re-examined by the court in January 2020, but a year later the sentence was upheld. The December 2023 ruling was the last possible resort.
The prosecution agreed that he serve his sentence in a cell built for him at Suriname's military hospital so he would have access to medical care, but he never showed up.
Since then, he has been on the run. Just four days ago, the police carried out a new search of his home and three other places, based on confidential information.
Suriname president
