INFO-SURINAM

In 1492 the Spanish discovered the Guyana’s, bud it was not until mid 1600 when the first trading posts were established. The actual colonization of Surinam started in 1651 when the British governor Lord Francis Willoughby from Barbados send planters to Surinam.

In 1665, when the States of Zeeland expelled the British from the former British Guyana and Suriname the first British colonization came to an end. During the peace negotiations that followed, it was decided that Suriname would be exchanged for New Amsterdam, now New York. After a power struggle in Europe between England, France and the Dutch Republic, Surinam came back for a brief period in the hands of the British. After the defeat of Napoleon in 1813 and the subsequent peace negotiations, the British had to give Surinam back to the Dutch. The colonization of Surinam lasted until 1975 when Surinam became independent.

The supply of African slaves by the West India Company, was a black page in the history of the compagny. In 1863 the Netherlands was one of the last countries who abolished slavery. Contract workers from various parts of the world were brought to Suriname to work at the plantations. This is also the basis of current multicultural Surinamese society.

Independence

In 1975, Surinam became independent and the Republic of Surinam was a fact. Many Surinamese did not agree with this independence and left with their Dutch passport to the Netherlands to build a new life. So it is possible that till today still 40% of the Surinamese population is living in the Netherlands. A large number of Surinamese still see the Netherlands as the promised land, others see the Dutch Surinamese as compatriots who have abandoned their country in times when they where needed to build the new republic.

The period after independence has been one of trial and error. In 1980 a number of non commissioned officers of the Surinamese National Army, led by Dési Bouterse committed a military coup. This coup was a relief for many Surinamese, finally they thought they would be released of the corrupt officials and politicians. However the undemocratic government of Bouterse aroused more and more opposition to his policies. On December 8-1982 after the visit of Maurice Bishop, the former political leader of Grenada, 15 opponents of the military regime were executed at Fort Zeelandia. After the December massacre the Dutch government stopped paying development funds. The dissatisfaction due to the policy of the army increased. A jungle commando Led by a former bodyguard of Bouterse (Ronny Brunswijk) started to put pressure on the national army. The civil war mainly took place around the bauxite mines and Maroon communities in eastern Suriname. During this period many of the Maroons fled to French Guyana and Paramaribo.

During the elections in 1991 the NDP of Bouterse managed to win 12 of the 51 seats in the National Assembly. The new front a group of several parties remains the largest in Surinam. Ronald Venitiaan former Minister of Education became the new President of the Republic of Suriname a period of economic reconstruction started. In 1996 the NDP of Bouterse wins the election and Jules Wijdenbosch became the new president of Surinam. He did not remain in office very long after the people started strikes and expressed their displeasure, convinced of his popularity Wijdenbosch wrote new elections bud lost. The New Front wins they elections and for the second time Venitiaan became the President of Suriname. In 2005 New Front wins again and Venitiaan remains president of Surinam.

Surinam to day

The independence of Suriname in 1975 was more an action of the Netherlands than Surinam itself. Many Surinamese rather saw that the country should remained attached to the Kingdom of the Netherlands. But the Prime Minister of the Netherlands Joop den Uil and Minister of foreign affair Jan Pronk speed things up an in 1975 the independence of Surinam was a fact. More than 300 years of colonial influence of the Netherlands had ended. However till today this influence is still present in Surinam. As previously mentioned, many Surinamese after they became independence left to the Netherlands Due to this exodus the young republic lost much of its highly educated managers which they needed so badly.

The major developments of Suriname after the abolition of slavery.