In this week’s Debrief, we welcome you to the New Year! This week, we cover the country and the region’s reaction to the US actions in Venezuela, and Surinam Airways fires two board members.

Suriname and the region reacted to the U.S. actions in Venezuela.

• Suriname has expressed serious concern over regional instability following airstrikes on Venezuela.

• President Jennifer Simons joined emergency CARICOM talks and led national security consultations.

• The government confirmed the safety of its representatives in Venezuela, is taking steps to protect Surinamese citizens, is preparing for possible refugee flows, and is urging international organizations to uphold peace and international law while calling for calm at home.

• President Jennifer Simons also held high-level consultations on the situation in Venezuela, focusing on regional security and adherence to international law.

• Suriname reaffirmed its full support for CARICOM’s position and urged all parties to seek peaceful solutions while maintaining regional stability, cooperation, and respect for international legal principles.

  

  Response by the Organisation of American States

• The OAS (Organization of American States) urged restraint and de-escalation amid Venezuela’s worsening crisis.

• They emphasized respect for international law, human rights, and constitutional order and called for a democratic solution through dialogue.

  Response from Guyana

• Guyana activated its national security plan in response to U.S. airstrikes on Venezuelan military bases, citing concerns about regional spillover.

• President Irfaan Ali confirmed heightened security coordination with regional partners and CARICOM, which is closely monitoring the situation and holding emergency consultations.

• Guyana is also coordinating with ExxonMobil to safeguard its major offshore oil operations amid rising regional tensions.

The international response

• The U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has triggered mixed global reactions. U.S. allies and Venezuela’s opposition see it as a potential turning point for democracy, while others warn of legal concerns, escalation, and violations of sovereignty.

• Neighboring countries are monitoring risks to regional stability and migration, as the international community remains sharply divided over the operation’s legitimacy and consequences.

Surinam Airways accused two of its former board members of misleading President Simons.

• Two dismissed SLM board members, Steven Gonesh and Santosh Baidjoe, are accused of misleading President Jennifer Simons by presenting incorrect financial figures.

• Supervisory Board Chairman Marlon Telting stated that figures are inconsistent with the books presented to the president, which led to decisions based on inaccurate information.

• It has emerged that SLM has tens of millions of US dollars in outstanding receivables from debtors and that these could have sustained the airline for almost a year without state support.

• These findings raise suspicion of document forgery, financial manipulation, and other economic crimes.

• Some issues may be misappropriation of airport fees and a loan from Grassalco that appears to be larger than the books accounted for.

• Telting stated that there were years of weak internal controls at SLM, with a lack of checks and balances and unquestioned acceptance of presented figures.

• The dismissed directors were given a chance to respond, but the explanations were deemed insufficient; further investigation will continue, including scrutiny of delayed audits.

• While the flight operations are loss-making, Telting stressed that other divisions—such as catering and cargo—are profitable, contradicting the perception that the entire company is performing poorly.

The police addressed the death of Dennis Aroma who committed numerous murders before being arrested by the police, but left many questions unanswered.

• The Suriname Police Force held a press conference to explain the death of detainee Dennis Aroma in the holding cells of the Central Police Station (Keizerstraat), however, many questions remain unanswered.

• The police did not accept responsibility for the fact that the injured detainee was able to take his own life while being held in an OTS (separation) cell.

• Aroma was transferred to the police station around 1:30 a.m. on Monday, 29 December, after being discharged from the Academic Hospital Paramaribo, and placed in an OTS cell.

• At around 6:10 a.m., he was found unresponsive during a routine check.

• Aroma was taken to the emergency department after sustaining gunshot injuries during his arrest.

• According to the police, an OTS cell is intended for temporary separation pending further legal steps, but it does not involve constant or continuous observation.

• Commissioner Rachel Deekman said that at the time of his transfer, there was no medical report indicating that Aroma was mentally unfit, though contact was made with the Psychiatric Center Suriname to check for available information.

• Police avoided detailed discussion of the manner of death, repeatedly referring to the ongoing investigation and pending autopsy results.

• Media representatives criticized the lack of clarity and raised concerns about protocols, supervision, camera monitoring, and the decision to discharge Aroma from hospital care; police said the briefing was meant to reduce public unrest until the investigation is completed.