Dési Bouterse

Who is Dési Bouterse?

Desiré Delano "Dési" Bouterse is a Surinamese politician who has been President of Suriname since 2010. From 1980 to 1987 he was Suriname's de facto leader when the country was under military rule.

Bouterse is the chairman of the Surinamese political combination Megacombinatie and the leader of the National Democratic Party, which is part of the Megacombination. On 19 July 2010, Bouterse was elected as President of Suriname with 36 of 50 parliament votes and on 12 August 2010 he was inaugurated.

Bouterse is probably Suriname's most controversial figure. He is held responsible for the numerous human rights violations committed under his dictatorship, such as the December murders and the Moiwana massacre.

In 2000, he was sentenced in the Netherlands to 11 years imprisonment because he was found guilty of trafficking 474 kilos of cocaine. Bouterse always denied being guilty and said he was convicted because the star witness in the case, Patrick van Loon, was bribed by the Dutch government. According to Wikileaks cables released in 2011, Bouterse was active in the drug trade until 2006. Europol has issued an arrest warrant for him, but as Suriname's President, he enjoys immunity.