Simons: No military action in the region!

Happy Monday!

This week we cover President Simons’ firmly addressing a rejection of military action in the region, and addressing the closure of the December 1982 murders case.

President Simons rejected support for military action against Venezuela.

• Surinamese President Jennifer Simons firmly rejected any support for U.S. military action against Venezuela, criticizing recent attacks allegedly carried out under the guise of anti-drug operations.

• Recent attacks in the region have killed 27 people as the U.S. military has targeted boats in the Caribbean Sea on the coast of Venezuela.

• She reaffirmed Suriname’s commitment to neutrality, peaceful diplomacy, and international law, while supporting drug enforcement only within humane and legal frameworks.

• Simons emphasized Suriname’s opposition to war in the region and urged all parties to resolve conflicts through dialogue, not violence.

Guyana and Suriname seek to continue building trade relationships as the countries seek to take advantage of oil discoveries.

• Suriname’s Minister of Economic Affairs, Entrepreneurship and Technological Innovation, Andrew Baasaron, visited Guyana for a series of field visits as part of a working trip.

• He was accompanied by Guyana’s Minister of Tourism, Industry, and Commerce, Susan Rodrigues. The visit focused on exploring cooperation in tourism, trade, and industrial development.

During the visit:

• Baasaron toured the Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC), a processing facility, and an industrial site.

• He praised Guyana’s organization of its agricultural and agro-processing sectors, calling it an inspiring model of government-business collaboration.

• Discussions at the processing facility considered establishing a similar structure in Suriname to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with product development and export. This aligns with Suriname’s goal to strengthen its non-oil sector and contribute to regional food security and export diversification.

• The Surinamese delegation also engaged with local entrepreneurs and officials to learn about the implementation of industrial projects in Guyana. These insights will be used to support industrial development in Suriname.

There has been no clemency request received by President Simons who states that the December 1982 murder case is to remain closed.

• No official clemency request has been received from the four December Murders convicts—only a letter from their lawyer, which doesn’t meet the legal requirements.

• Clemency must be personally signed by the convicts themselves; a lawyer's letter is not sufficient.

• Nearly 1,000 clemency requests related to Suriname's 50th independence anniversary have followed proper procedures, unlike this case.

• Administrative delays meant the president only recently discovered the lawyer’s letter and hadn’t read it when the issue was raised publicly.

• The December Murders case is legally closed, and Simons firmly ruled out any reopening, stating the judiciary has made its final decision.

• She reaffirmed her commitment to upholding human rights for all prisoners and emphasized her focus on Suriname’s future and national well-being.

The government has been speaking on how it plans to address its debt crises.

• Government priorities include reducing national debt, increasing state revenue, and strengthening key sectors like agriculture, tourism, and climate policy.

• Tax and customs systems are being improved to boost income without raising burdens on citizens, focusing on better enforcement of existing taxes like VAT.

• Audits at state-owned enterprises aim to improve transparency and efficiency; working groups for agriculture and tourism will be launched to boost sector productivity within two years.

• Measures to keep basic goods affordable are underway, including a transparent pricing system for essential items.

• Simons raised concerns about climate finance, warning that many international funds are actually commercial loans that do not benefit forest-rich developing countries.

• Suriname is exploring carbon credits and debt-for-nature swaps with countries like Bhutan and Madagascar, ensuring that benefits reach local communities and truly support forest conservation.