Editing History of Suriname (section)

== Independence ==
[[File:Henck Arron, Beatrix, Johan Ferrier 1975.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Henck Arron]], [[Beatrix of the Netherlands|Beatrix]] and [[Johan Ferrier]] on November 25, 1975]]
{{see also|Suriname}}
{{anchor|Independence}}In 1973 the Dutch government started independence negotiations with the local government, led by the [[National Party of Suriname|NPS]] (a largely Creole party), at the request of members of the NPS, which was granted on November 25, 1975. The Dutch instituted an aid programme worth US$1.5 billion to last till 1985. The first President of the country was [[Johan Ferrier]], with [[Henck Arron]] (leader of the NPS) as Prime Minister. Despite agreements with the new Surinam government roughly a third of the population emigrated to the Netherlands prior to and after independence, fearing that the new country would not be viable.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbs.nl/nl-nl/nieuws/2015/48/helft-surinaamse-nederlanders-is-tweede-generatie|title=Helft Surinaamse Nederlanders is tweede generatie|trans-title=Half of the Surinamese Dutch are second generation|website=[[Statistics Netherlands]]|date=24 November 2015 |access-date=6 June 2020|language=nl|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230322224128/https://www.cbs.nl/nl-nl/nieuws/2015/48/helft-surinaamse-nederlanders-is-tweede-generatie|archive-date=March 22, 2023|url-status=live}}</ref> Also contrary to the agreements with the new Surinam government, many originally Dutch settlers (bakra's/boeroes) were expropriated by the new Surinam Government.

In 1980, the government of Henck Arron [[1980 Surinamese coup d'état|was overthrown in a military coup]] led by Sergeant-Major [[Dési Bouterse]].<ref name="curry2022">{{cite news|last1=Curry|first1=Mary E.|date=February 3, 2022|title=The Walter Rodney Murder Mystery in Guyana 40 Years Later|language=en|publisher=[[National Security Archive]]|url=https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/briefing-book/human-rights/2020-06-13/the-walter-rodney-murder-mystery-in-guyana-40-years-later|url-status=live|access-date=July 13, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230421221226/https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/briefing-book/human-rights/2020-06-13/the-walter-rodney-murder-mystery-in-guyana-40-years-later|archive-date=April 21, 2023|series=[[National Security Archive#Publications|Briefing Book]] # 784|quote=Other regional events in 1980 included a coup in Suriname in February and the “Marial boat lift” from Cuba, which caused a refugee crisis.}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Singh |first1=Chatram |date=2007 |title=Reining the Military: Re-Democratization in Suriname |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/45194353 |journal=[[Journal of Third World Studies]] |volume=116 |issue=3 |pages=73–96 |jstor=45194353 |access-date=July 12, 2023}}</ref> President Ferrier refused to recognise the new government, appointing [[Henk Chin A Sen]] (of the [[Nationalist Republican Party (Suriname)|Nationalist Republican Party]]). Another coup followed five months later, with the army replacing Ferrier with Chin A Sen. These developments were largely welcomed by a population that expected the new army-installed government to put an end to corruption and improve the standard of living. This was despite the fact that the new regime banned opposition parties and became increasingly dictatorial. The Dutch initially accepted the new government; however, relations between Suriname and the Netherlands collapsed when 15 members of the political opposition were killed by the army on December 8, 1982, in [[Fort Zeelandia (Paramaribo)|Fort Zeelandia]]. This event is also known as the ''[[December murders]]'' (''Decembermoorden'' in Dutch). The Dutch and Americans cut off their aid in protest at the move.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rd.nl/vandaag/buitenland/amnestie-decembermoorden-ambassadeur-suriname-naar-nederland-1.666113|title=Amnestie decembermoorden; ambassadeur Suriname naar Nederland|trans-title=Amnesty December murders; Ambassador Suriname to the Netherlands|website=[[Reformatorisch Dagblad]]|access-date=28 May 2020|language=nl|date=5 April 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230406203540/https://www.rd.nl/artikel/440704-amnestie-decembermoorden-ambassadeur-suriname-naar-nederland|archive-date=April 6, 2023|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://retro.nrc.nl/W2/Lab/HAL15/decembermoorden.html|title=Decembermoorden|trans-title=December murders|website=Dossier Suriname|publisher=NRC Handelsblad|access-date=28 May 2020|language=nl|date=1 February 2001|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230521070425/https://retro.nrc.nl/W2/Lab/HAL15/decembermoorden.html|archive-date=May 21, 2023|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1985, the ban on opposition parties was lifted, and work began on devising a new constitution. The following year saw the start of an anti-government rebellion of the Maroons in the interior, calling themselves the Jungle Commando and led by [[Ronnie Brunswijk]]. The Bouterse government violently tried to suppress the insurgency by burning villages and other similar means. More than 10,000 Maroons fled to [[French Guiana]], and were recognised refugees. The number of illegal refugees is unknown.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.culturalsurvival.org/publications/cultural-survival-quarterly/maroons-under-assault-suriname-and-french-guiana|title=Maroons under Assault In Suriname And French Guiana|website=Cultural Survival|date=28 April 2010 |access-date=6 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230603015543/https://www.culturalsurvival.org/publications/cultural-survival-quarterly/maroons-under-assault-suriname-and-french-guiana|archive-date=June 3, 2023|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1987, Suriname got a new civilian constitution and next year [[Ramsewak Shankar]] was elected as president. He was ousted in a [[1990 Surinamese coup d'état|military coup]] organized by Bouterse in 1990. In 1991, opposition the [[New Front for Democracy and Development]] won majority in [[1991 Surinamese general election|parliamentary elections]]. [[Ronald Venetiaan]] was elected as new president.<ref name="auto">{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-20028418|title=Suriname profile - Timeline|work=[[BBC News]]|date=May 31, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230601114213/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-20028418|archive-date=June 1, 2023|url-status=live}}</ref> The civil war ended after a peace agreement between the government of Suriname and the Surinamese Liberation Army (SLA), commonly known as the Jungle Commando (or Commandos), led by Ronnie Brunswijk, was reached in August 1992.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ac6358.html|title=Suriname: Current information on the Jungle Commandos of Ronnie Brunswijk|website=Refworld|publisher=[[United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees]]|access-date=July 13, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230715151650/https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ac6358.html|archive-date=July 15, 2023|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1992, an ally of Bouterse, [[Jules Wijdenbosch]], was elected as new president. In 2000, Ronald Venetiaan became president again after winning the early [[2000 Surinamese general election|elections]].<ref name="auto"/> In 2005, Venetiaan was [[2005 Surinamese general election|re-elected]] and his New Front coalition won narrowly the parliamentary [[2005 Surinamese general election|election]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://pdba.georgetown.edu/Elecdata/Sur/pres05.html|title=Suriname: 2005 Presidential Elections / 2005 Eleccciones Presidenciales|website=Political Database of the Americas|publisher=[[Georgetown University]]|access-date=July 13, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230405205543/https://pdba.georgetown.edu/Elecdata/Sur/pres05.html|archive-date=April 5, 2023|url-status=live}}</ref>

In July 2010, the parliament elected Bouterse as the new president. <ref>{{Cite web|url=http://caribbeanelections.com/sr/elections/sr_results_2010.asp |title=Suriname General Election Results - 25 May 2010 |website=Suriname Election Center|publisher=Caribbean Elections|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230407092920/http://caribbeanelections.com/sr/elections/sr_results_2010.asp|archive-date=April 7, 2023|access-date=July 15, 2023}}</ref> In 2015, his party [[National Democratic Party (Suriname)|National Democratic Party]] (NDP) narrowly won the parliamentary [[2015 Surinamese general election|election]], giving Bouterse a second five-year period in power.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://caribbeanelections.com/sr/elections/sr_results_2015.asp |title=Suriname General Election Results - 25 May 2015 |website=Suriname Election Center|publisher=Caribbean Elections|access-date=July 13, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230406203542/http://caribbeanelections.com/sr/elections/sr_results_2015.asp|archive-date=April 6, 2023|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2019, Bouterse was sentenced to 20 years in prison over the execution of 15 political opponents in 1982. Before, he was convicted in absentia of drug trafficking by a court in the Netherlands in 1999. Bouterse has denied any wrongdoing.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/12/1/suriname-president-bouterse-sentenced-to-20-years-for-killings|title=Suriname President Bouterse sentenced to 20 years for killings|website=[[Al Jazeera Arabic|Al Jazeera]]|date=December 1, 2019|access-date=July 13, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230526141111/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/12/1/suriname-president-bouterse-sentenced-to-20-years-for-killings|archive-date=May 26, 2023|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2020, the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Suriname|COVID-19 crisis]] began and oil prices fell. There was an economic crisis. 
On 25 May 2020, [[2020 Surinamese general election|a general election]] took place. The [[Progressive Reform Party (Suriname)|Progressive Reform Party]] (PRP) got 20 seats (+11) out of 51 and the National Democratic Party (NDP) got 16 seats (-10). 
In July 2020, [[Chan Santokhi|Chandrikapersad "Chan" Santokhi]] (PRP) was [[2020 Surinamese general election|elected]] as the new [[President of Suriname]], replacing Bouterse. The PRP formed a coalition with the [[General Liberation and Development Party]] led by former guerilla leader [[Ronnie Brunswijk]], the new vice president.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-53394785|title = Suriname election: Convicted murderer Dési Bouterse is replaced by ex-police chief |work = [[BBC News]] |date = 14 July 2020|access-date=July 13, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230408113054/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-53394785|archive-date=April 8, 2023|url-status=live}}</ref>

In February 2023, protests against rising living costs occurred in the capital Paramaribo. Protesters accused the government of President [[Chan Santokhi]] of corruption. They stormed the National Assembly, demanding that the government resign. However, the government condemned the protests.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kuipers |first1=Ank |title=Protesters storm Suriname's parliament as anti-austerity rally turns chaotic |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/protesters-storm-surinames-parliament-rampage-through-capital-rally-turns-ugly-2023-02-17/ |work=[[Reuters]] |date=18 February 2023 |language=en|access-date=July 13, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230608003238/https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/protesters-storm-surinames-parliament-rampage-through-capital-rally-turns-ugly-2023-02-17/|archive-date=June 8, 2023|url-status=live}}</ref> In December 2024, Desi Bouterse, Suriname’s fugitive former president, died.<ref>{{cite news |title=Desi Bouterse, Suriname’s fugitive former president, dies at 79 |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/12/25/desi-bouterse-surinames-fugitive-former-president-dies-at-79 |work=Al Jazeera |language=en}}</ref>