Sun, Jun 28, 2026
Sun, Jun 28, 2026
Suriname’s ex-President Desi Bouterse dies
Former President of Suriname Desi Bouterse (Photo by FLORENCE LO/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
(Reuters) Suriname’s former President Desi Bouterse has died aged 79, the country’s government said on Wednesday, almost a year after he fled authorities to avoid jail following his conviction over the murder of 15 political activists in 1982.
“The government has been informed through the family and its own investigations of the passing of Mr. D. Bouterse, ex-President of the Republic of Suriname,” Foreign Minister Albert Ramdin told Reuters.
The former leader died on Tuesday, the government said, without confirming where, or even which country. Last week Surinamese authorities raided his home – where supporters gathered to pay their respects on Wednesday morning – but did not find him.
Bouterse dominated politics in the tiny South American country for decades, leading a coup in 1980 and finally leaving office in 2020.
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