PARAMARIABO: Desi Bouterse, the former tyrant and afterward elected leader of Suriname, who became a runaway of justice for the shooting of political critics, has died at 79, the authorities said Wednesday.
Also popular with the poor and working group of the South American nation, Bouterse, who died Tuesday, rose to power after a 1980 revolution as a young lieutenant key in the military. In response to the political crime he was accused of orchestrating, he resigned in 1987 under international pressure.
He returned to power in 1990 after a minute coup, this time without violence. Boutse resigned a year later, and he served for ten years as the original Dutch colony’s president in 2010.
Existing President Chan Santokhi expressed condolences to Bouterse’s family members and urged people to “maintain calm.” He said citizens were awaiting “more thorough and comprehensive information from recognized channels” on the late party’s passing.
Around midnight, rumors started to circulate about the original strongman’s unexpected death after a brief illness at his sanctuary.
Unknown people moved his body to his residence in the capital Paramaribo, where his family and supporters of the National Democratic Party ( NDP ) gathered early on Christmas Day to bid him farewell.
Doctor Rabindernath Khoenkhoen, speaking to reporters, did not provide information on the cause of death.
The NDP expressed pain over” the sudden passing of our spiritual parents” Bouterse.
On her Instagram page, party president Jennifer Simons wrote,” We are grateful to him for his perception, courage, tireless efforts, and passion for our nation.”
Santokhi said plans with Bouterse’s relatives were afoot.
The president urges people to be respectable, maintain calm, keep order, and pray in the spirit of these special days, he said.
Medication trafficking
The second revolt was orchestrated by Bouterse on February 25, 1980. Known for his eloquence, he immediately acted as a spokeswoman but soon took over the military government, promoting himself to commander-in-chief and de facto ruler.
Bouterse received an arrest warrant from Interpol after receiving an 11-year sentence for cocaine prostitution in the Netherlands in 1999, despite the fact that his leadership position protected him from abduction.
In 2019 Bouterse was convicted in proceedings for the 1982 murder of 15 folks, including attorneys and military officers. Over the 12-year test, he never appeared in court.
He denied role in the murders, saying the victims were held for plotting a counter-coup with CIA support, and were shot while trying to escape.
During the prosecution, Bouterse admitted hearing shots on the day of the deaths, but denied having given the order. He claimed his test was “political”.
His faith was unfortunately upheld in December 2023 following an appeal.
He was permitted to spend the next 20 years of his word in a specially constructed isolated confinement body at the Suriname Military Hospital complex, which is located close to downtown Paramaribo. But Bouterse always arrived, refusing to turn himself in.
Bouterse also suggested that he might run for office once more while remaining a prisoner.
Last year, he urged his supporters not to cause” chaos”, vowing that” we will hold out until the 2025 elections”.
