Desi Bouterse, Suriname’s fugitive former president, dies at 79

Desi Bouterse, the former president of Suriname who fled authorities to avoid jail after his conviction over the murder of activists in the 1980s, has died at age 79, the government says.

“In anticipation of more detailed and definitive information from official channels, we would like to offer our condolences to the wife, children and other surviving relatives for this loss,” President Chan Santokhi said in a statement on Wednesday, referring to Bouterse.

Vice President Ronnie Brunswijk wrote on Facebook that Bouterse’s “life had a lasting impact on our country and his efforts will not be forgotten”.

His cause of death was not immediately clear, and the government did not provide details on where Bouterse died on Tuesday.

A divisive figure, Bouterse was applauded by supporters for his charisma and populist social programmes but viewed by his opponents as a ruthless dictator who was convicted of drug trafficking and extrajudicial killings.

He dominated politics in the small country on the northeastern coast of South America for decades, leading a coup in 1980 and finally leaving office in 2020.In 2019, he and six other people were convicted for their roles in the 1982 murders of 15 leading government critics, including lawyers, journalists, union leaders, soldiers and university professors.