Forgotten hotspot

This is a volume in the “Marxist Regimes” series. It deals with the military regime of Desi Bouterse in Suriname (or Surinam), a former Dutch colony in South America. The book was published in 1986. It's somewhat eclectic, combing chapters on politics and history with sections which sound more anthropological in character. The first chapter even includes geological information! It's good to know that the New Coastal Plain was formed during the Weichsel Ice Age, but what on earth does this have got to do with Marxist regime-change?

Suriname became independent as late as 1975. The official language is still Dutch. The nation is a virtual mosaic of ethnic and religious groups, the most prominent being the Creoles (most of whom are Catholic or Moravian Brethren) and the East Indians (who are usually Hindus). There are also “Bush Negroes”, who are descendants of Maroons (runaway slaves). Bouterse and the military took power in a bloodless coup in 1980 and initially enjoyed widespread support due to their promises to end corruption and dependence on the former colonial power. After some initial hesitation, or perhaps dissimulation, Bouterse turned to the “left” and established close relations with Cuba and Grenada. The Cuban presence was particularly conspicuous. This turned the erstwhile god-forsaken country into a Cold War hotspot. Bouterse's courting of Libya didn't exactly help. Suriname borders French Guiana, which may explain Colonel Gaddafi's interest in the region, Libya being embroiled in several conflicts with France in Africa.

Bouterse was challenged by the trade unions and churches, and feared (perhaps rightly) some kind of foreign intervention. In December 1982, thirteen prominent leaders of the opposition were arrested and summarily executed, an event which still haunts Surinamese politics. After pressure from both Brazil and the United States, Bouterse broke with Cuba and moved to the “right” again, initiating talks with the unions and the old political parties. However, repression continued as Bouterse's regime was challenged by Ronnie Brunswijk (a former bodyguard of the dictator) who had formed a guerilla group popularly known as the Jungle Commando. It was based on the Bush Negroes. The war led to a refugee crisis, as thousands of Bush Negroes fled to French Guiana. That a prominent associate of Bouterse was arrested in Florida suspected of cocaine smuggling lowered the prestige of the regime even more.

The authors of this book believe that Bouterse had lost most of his popular support by 1982, and that the people no longer trusted the union and party leaders who had sat down to negotiate with the military leader. The mineworkers (a powerful group in Surinamese society) had gone out on strike against the regime without union blessing. There the story pretty much ends. I'm old enough to remember Swedish newspapers mentioning the Jungle Commando, but that's all I knew about Suriname before I read this book. I admit that it was relatively informative (albeit extremely boring!).

Little is heard of Suriname today. Apparently, Desi Bouterse is back as president after a democratic election (!), but the December killings and suspicions concerning Bouterse's own involvement in drug trafficking (mentioned by WikiLeaks) tarnishes his reputation. He has been convicted of the latter crime in absentia in the Netherlands.

That would be all for now…

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