A multi-ethnic former Dutch colony of under 700,000 people on the north-eastern shoulder of South America. Its population includes Hindustani, creole, Javanese and maroon (descendants of escaped slaves) communities, and its political system is designed to foster consensus between them. Suriname is the only country in South America where the president is not chosen directly by voters but by a supermajority (34 of 51 seats) in the National Assembly.
For 15 years Suriname was dominated by three men with a history of conflict and betrayal dating back to the 1980s. Dési Bouterse, the country's former military ruler, won elections in 2010 and 2015. His former bodyguard, Ronnie Brunswijk—who in the 1980s broke with Bouterse to lead a guerrilla war against his junta—joined him in government on both occasions. In 2020 Brunswijk switched allegiance to form a government with Chandrikapersad Santokhi, a former police chief who had long pursued Bouterse for crimes committed under military rule. Bouterse was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2023, but evaded jail and died of natural causes in December 2024.
As a reward for his defection, Brunswijk—who is wanted by Dutch authorities for cocaine-trafficking—was given the vice-presidency and ministries in resources, forestry and justice for his party. Santokhi's own government was marred by scandal: he appointed his wife to the supervisory board of the national oil company and attempted to give vast tracts of land to a Mennonite group and award generous mining concessions to a Chinese aluminium firm, though fierce public opposition killed off both deals. Illegal mining remains rampant.
In elections on May 25th 2025 the National Development Party (NDP) led by Jennifer Geerlings-Simons won 18 of 51 seats, one more than Santokhi's Progressive Reform Party (VHP). On June 1st Geerlings-Simons announced a coalition with smaller parties representing creoles, Javanese and maroons, giving her the 34 seats needed to become Suriname's first female president.
Since its transition to democracy in 1987 Suriname has become a major cocaine-trafficking hub. Bouterse's son Dino is in prison in the United States for drug-smuggling and attempted dealmaking with Hizbullah. Bouterse's finance minister, Gillmore Hoefdraad, went into hiding in 2020 and was convicted in absentia to 12 years in prison for embezzlement.
Surinamese blood has run in the veins of some of the world's finest footballers. In the years leading up to and following independence from the Netherlands in 1975, almost a third of the population emigrated to secure Dutch citizenship. During the 1990s the Dutch national team relied on stars such as Ruud Gullit, Edgar Davids and Clarence Seedorf, all children of Surinamese immigrants. Today Virgil Van Dijk, captain of both Liverpool and the Dutch national team, is the most prominent of over 100 football players of Surinamese descent in Europe's top leagues.
Until recently, this talent largely benefited the Netherlands. Suriname does not allow dual citizenship, and no top player would relinquish their Dutch passport, as non-EU players face stricter work permits in the Netherlands. The national side, known as "the Natio", sank to 191st out of 209 teams in FIFA's rankings by 2015. In 2019 FIFA altered its eligibility rules, allowing Suriname to issue temporary "sports passports" to Dutch-born players of Surinamese descent. The recruits helped the Natio reach the Gold Cup in 2021 for the first time in 36 years. By mid-2025 FIFA ranked the Natio in 137th place, and the team emerged undefeated from its World Cup qualifying group.
Ronnie Brunswijk, the vice-president, was banned from a regional football competition in 2021 after playing in a match for a local team, Inter Moengotapoe, which he owns. A video appeared to show him distributing cash to his Honduran opponents in the changing rooms; he said he was showing gratitude for their travelling to Suriname.
In October 2024 France's TotalEnergies announced it would invest $10.5bn to develop a large offshore oilfield in Surinamese waters, due to start producing in 2028. Karel Eckhorst, Suriname's chief negotiator with the IMF, has warned that good governance, not oil, is the key to the country's future.
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