Desi Bouterse, the convicted dictator of Suriname who had his enemies killed, has died

Desi Bouterse, former military leader who staged a coup d’état in 1980 in the former Dutch colony of Suriname and who, three decades later, returned to power through elections despite facing accusations of drug trafficking and murderdied at the age of 79.

Suriname’s Vice President Ronnie Brunswijk said on Facebook on Wednesday that Bouterse’s “life left an indelible mark on our country and his efforts will be remembered.” However, The cause of his death was not immediately reported.

The complaints against Bouterse

Bouterse was a controversial figure: while his followers praised him for his charisma and populist social policies, His detractors called him a ruthless dictator.convicted of drug trafficking and extrajudicial executions.

In December 2023, Desi Bouterse was sentenced to 20 years in prison for his responsibility in the murders of 15 opponents of the military regime in December 1982. This conviction marked the closing of a historic judicial process which lasted for 16 years. However, Bouterse never served his sentence, as he disappeared after the sentencing.

“Desi Bouterse shaped the history of Suriname since its independence like no one else,” said Dutch historian Pepijn Reeser, author of a biography about the former leader published in 2015. According to Reeser, Bouterse was a pioneer in breaking the rigid division of social classes that marked the country.

“Before the coup d’état, it was unthinkable that someone from humble origins could become the most powerful man in the country,” Reeser explained. However, he also noted that Bouterse was the first post-colonial leader to resort to political violence and transform Suriname into a transit hub for narcotics trafficking.

In the early hours of Wednesday, Dozens of followers gathered in front of Bouterse’s homewhere his wife resided. With tears in their eyes, many wore purple clothing, the emblem of their political party.

Who is Desi Bouterse?

Bouterse was born on October 13, 1945 on a former sugar plantation near Paramaribo, the capital of Suriname. In 1968 he emigrated to Holland, like many Surinamese of his generation who were looking for new opportunities in Europe. There, as a Dutch citizen, he joined the armed forces shortly after his arrival, beginning a military career that would mark his life and the history of his country.

Desi Bouterse completed his training at the Royal Military Academy and served at various army bases in the Netherlands and Germany.

He returned to Suriname just two weeks before the country achieved its independence on November 25, 1975 and joined the newly created national army. However, The young soldiers’ initial enthusiasm for serving their nation soon faded, when facing a panorama marked by favoritism and widespread corruption in successive governments led by Prime Minister Henck Arron.