Suriname's longest ruling president dies at 89 years old.

The former president served for 15 years as President of the Republic of Suriname after the years of dictatorship and focused on rebuilding the country

De Brief
November 10, 2025

Ventiaan was born on June 18, 1936, in Paramaribo before moving to the Netherlands to study at Leiden University. He got a bachelor’s and master’s degree in mathematics before returning to Suriname to work as a teacher and a professor at Anton De Kom University.
He got involved in politics and was widely respected for his integrity, humility, and focus on education, ethics, and stability.
Venetiaan led Suriname through periods of recovery and democratic consolidation, earning a reputation as a principled and moral leader.
He was the president of the Republic of Suriname for 15 years in total, from 1991 to 1996 and from 2000 to 2010.
Even after retiring from politics, he remained a respected moral voice. His passing marks the loss of one of Suriname’s most esteemed statesmen.
CARICOM (The Caribbean Community) issued a formal statement mourning the death of former Surinamese president Ronald Venetiaan, praising him as a distinguished statesman devoted to public service.
The organization highlighted his pivotal role in leading Suriname toward full CARICOM membership in 1995, describing the country’s continued active participation as part of his lasting legacy.
CARICOM offered heartfelt condolences to Venetiaan’s family, the Surinamese government and people, and those who worked with him.

At COP30, Surinamese President Jennifer Simons met with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to strengthen bilateral ties.
Both leaders agreed to hold a presidential working visit by February 2026 to formalize cooperation in key areas.
Their talks covered climate issues, including the Amazon rainforest and Suriname’s endorsement of Lula’s Tropical Forests Forever Fund, as well as poverty reduction and social development.
Suriname expressed interest in learning from Brazil’s Bolsa Família program and expanding collaboration in agriculture, tourism, infrastructure, education, and diplomatic training through the Rio Branco Institute.
Foreign Minister Melvin Bouva emphasized that Brazil is a foreign policy priority, alongside regional cooperation with Guyana and other neighbors, highlighting the untapped potential for mutual growth and investment.

She clarified that no agreement or talks exist and that no bauxite exports will take place from that region.
She acknowledged that Vice President Gregory Rusland met Chinalco once, but not in an official capacity.
Simons stressed that Suriname must balance natural resource use with environmental commitments, noting that the country has pledged to preserve 90% of its forests and should be compensated internationally for doing so.
She added that oil revenues could ease economic pressure, but warned that the small economy cannot handle multiple large projects at once.
On domestic issues, Simons rejected deforestation for Mennonite agricultural projects and declared that all land allocations made over the past five years were illegal, citing violations of the Anti-Corruption Act.
The government has now frozen all land grants pending review to ensure legality and fairness.

Anand Chotkan, the Director of Livestock, has been arrested on charges of embezzling state assets and attempting to defraud the government.
Investigations revealed that he allegedly sold around 100 state-owned animals and kept the profits, while also trying to orchestrate a fraudulent SRD 86 million payment for cattle that were never imported from Brazil.
The police have also found large sums of cash hidden at his home.
The fraudulent payment was prevented thanks to the vigilance of the Central Government Audit Office.
Minister of the LVV Mike Noersalim condemned the incident, calling it a serious blow to the ministry’s integrity, and vowed to eradicate corruption as part of efforts to revitalize the agricultural sector.
Noersalim said that new and retired professionals would be mobilized to rebuild the ministry and restore public trust, emphasizing that clean governance is essential for Suriname’s agricultural growth.