Dési Bouterse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dési Bouterse
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Official portrait, 2010
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| 8th President of Suriname | |
| In office 12 August 2010 – 16 July 2020 |
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| Vice President | Robert Ameerali (2010–2015) Ashwin Adhin (2015–2020) |
| Preceded by | Ronald Venetiaan |
| Succeeded by | Chan Santokhi |
| President pro tempore of the Union of South American Nations | |
| In office 30 August 2013 – 4 December 2014 |
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| Preceded by | Ollanta Humala |
| Succeeded by | José Mujica |
| President of the National Democratic Party | |
| Assumed office 4 July 1987 |
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| Preceded by | Party established |
| Chairman of the National Military Council | |
| In office 25 February 1980 – 27 November 1987 |
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| President | Johan Ferrier Henk Chin A Sen Fred Ramdat Misier |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Desiré Delano Bouterse
13 October 1945 Domburg, Suriname |
| Political party | National Democratic Party |
| Spouses |
Ingrid Figueira
(divorced)Ingrid Waldring
(m. 1990) |
| Children | Peggy Dino Jen-ai |
Desiré Delano Bouterse ( born 13 October 1945) is a Surinamese military officer and politician who served as President of Suriname from 2010 to 2020.
Bouterse is a controversial figure, held responsible by some for numerous human rights violations committed during his military rule in the 1980s. Most notable were the December murders in 1982. He was prosecuted for the murders, and a trial was initiated, but the National Assembly extended amnesty to him in 2012. After the trial was forced to continue, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison on 29 November 2019. He is also suspected of having directed the Moiwana massacre in 1986, during the civil war by the Maroons, led by his former bodyguard, Ronnie Brunswijk.
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Early life
Bouterse was born on 13 October 1945 in Domburg, located in Suriname's Wanica District. He was born in a Multiracial family of Amerindian, African, Dutch, French, and Chinese ancestry. As a young boy he moved from Domburg to the capital Paramaribo, where he was raised by an aunt. He attended St. Jozefschool (a boarding school) and later the Middelbare Handelsschool (roughly equivalent to junior secondary general education), which he did not finish.
In 1968, Bouterse moved to the Netherlands, where he was conscripted into the armed forces of the Netherlands (Nederlandse Krijgsmacht). After completing his military service, he signed up to train as a non-commissioned officer at the Koninklijke Militaire School in Weert. In this period, Bouterse became known as an athlete, and he was chosen as head of the basketball team.
In 1970, Bouterse married Ingrid Figueira, whom he had known as a teenager in Suriname. They had two children: Peggy and Dino. Shortly after the marriage, Bouterse was assigned to the Dutch military base in Seedorf, Germany.
On 11 November 1975, Bouterse returned with his family to Suriname after it gained independence from the Netherlands. He wanted to help establish the Surinamese army. In 1979, Bouterse accepted a request by Roy Horb to become chairman of a new Surinamese military union (union BoMiKa; Bond voor Militair Kader).
Sergeants Coup
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On 25 February 1980, Bouterse, Horb, and fourteen other sergeants overthrew the Henck Arron government with a violent military coup d'état, now known as the Sergeants Coup. The sergeants who accomplished this coup were known as the Groep van zestien (Group of Sixteen). Bouterse was the leader of the Groep van zestien. After the coup, he became chairman of the National Military Council of Suriname and as such the de facto dictator of Suriname. From then until 1988, Bouterse was the power behind puppet presidents installed by him.
The military takeover, which was widely supported by the population, was officially aimed at fighting corruption and unemployment (which at the time affected 18 per cent of the working population), and at restoring order in public affairs.
The military dictatorship imposed an evening curfew, and curtailed freedom of press (only one newspaper, de Ware Tijd, was allowed to continue publishing, but they were subject to heavy censorship). In 1985, it banned political parties and restricted freedom of assembly. It was characterized by a high level of government corruption and the summary executions of political opponents.
Bouterse established diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union, Cuba and North Korea, but his regime did not show any Communist orientation. The Netherlands suspended development aid to its former colony, destabilizing the Surinamese economy. The regime was quickly confronted with several uprisings, sometimes led by part of the army, sometimes by civilians.
Transition to democracy
Later in 1985, the government lifted the ban on opposition parties, beginning a transition to civilian rule. A new constitution was overwhelmingly approved in a 30 September 1987 referendum. Elections were held two months later, and Ramsewak Shankar, an opponent of Bouterse, was elected president in January 1988.
President of Suriname (2010–2020)
In the 2010 Surinamese legislative election, Bouterse and his coalition, the Mega Combination (Mega Combinatie) became the biggest party in Suriname, gaining 23 of the 51 seats in the parliament. The coalition failed to gain an absolute majority in the parliament by three seats (the half of 50 plus 1 was needed). In order to secure the votes necessary to become president, Bouterse cooperated with the party of his former opponent, Ronnie Brunswijk, which had 7 seats; and the Peoples Alliance party (Volks Alliantie) of Paul Somohardjo (6 seats), who had left the ruling New Front party before the election.
On 19 July 2010, Bouterse was elected as President of Suriname with 36 of the 51 votes; he assumed office on 12 August 2010. His running mate Robert Ameerali became Vice President of Suriname.
During his presidency Dési Bouterse introduced universal health care, free school meals, a minimum wage and a national pension scheme.
See also
In Spanish: Dési Bouterse para niños
