Happy Monday!

This week we cover the links of Suriname’s high-level political officials, former President Desi Bouterse and current Vice President Ronnie Brunsiwjk being involved in drug trafficking and Suriname’s recovery according to the IMF.

Former Surinamese President and Current Vice President, Desi Bouterse and Ronnie Brunsijk respectively linked to Drug Trafficking involvement.

• Former Surinamese President Desi Bouterse and current Vice President Ronnie Brunswijk have been linked to drug trafficking involvement after emails were hacked from the Colombian Office of the Attorney General. The emails indicate a high level organised crime with political ties. 

• The two are said to act as brokers to facilitate cocaine smuggling within the Surinamese interior. Suriname’s interior according to drug traffickers is located near major drug protection zones, has vulnerable borders, and possesses infrastructure to ship cocaine to markets in Europe, West Africa, and the United States. Brunswijk has been caught up in the scandal after Surinamese DEA agents suspected him of being in contact with traffickers right after he assumed the position of Vice President.

• While Brunswijk has not responded to claims of the report, insiders in the Surinamese government confirmed the Vice President’s involvement and assisted in letting certain suspected drug traffickers go free after having been found trafficking drugs. 

• Drug traffickers have been trafficking cocaine from Amapota to Paramaribo via the Zorg en Hoop airport, and upon arrest have been released by judges in Suriname. Police officers have also been suspected of stealing cocaine after its seizure. 

• Desi Bouterse was also found in the trove of emails suspected of helping trade cocaine from Colombia through Suriname, to the Caribbean, Africa, and Europe. Bouterse’s government is implicated in directing government funds to the purchase of a plane for Gilbert Samuels, who is accused of trafficking cocaine through Suriname. 

• This continues recent news of Bouterse’s criminal involvement in drug trafficking as his son Dino, previously in charge of Suriname’s anti-terrorism unit was charged with drug trafficking in the United States. Colombian guerrilla groups such as the ELN and the FARC are suspected of being in contact with Bouterse for the trafficking of cocaine through Suriname to destinations like Europe.  

• The trafficking continues in the interior of Suriname to this day as current President Santokhi agreed on the difficulty of intercepting drug traffickers in the interior and the numerous planes that land there monthly suspected of trafficking tons of cocaine.

Suriname’s continued road to recovery assessed by the IMF

• The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is urging the Surinamese government to enhance transparency and accountability.

• While the fund acknowledges positive overall progress in Suriname's economic recovery program, it expresses disappointment in the outcomes of social protections.

• It identified some challenges such as a lack of implementation capacity, difficult societal discussions, and a prevailing lack of trust.

• The body emphasized the importance of societal focus on essential issues and warned against undermining economic recovery milestones.

• Inflation is still considered far too high even though exchange rates and inflation have decreased recently. The organisation commended Suriname’s achievements but stressed the need for more transparency and accountability throughout the process.

Suriname awaits Investment decision regarding oil discoveries.

• Suriname continues to find more oil on its coast.

• Petronas, Malaysia’s state-owned oil company has stated that it will complete two more drills in the New Year for additional data on its field plan before it makes a decision regarding its final investment decision.

• The company is discussing its findings with Suriname’s state oil company Staatsolie, as it makes a decision.

• Unlike previous discoveries, this current basin is a gas discovery that would need to be liquified before export.

• Guyana is expected to become the richest country per capita by the end of the year according to the IMF and Suriname hopes for a future that is similar to Guyana’s growth.