Former Suriname president Santokhi dies at 67

PARAMARIBO – Chandrikapersad Santokhi, who served as president of Suriname from 2020 to 2025, died suddenly on Monday at the age of 67, according to current President Jennifer Simons.

“His many years of service in various public offices will be remembered,” President Simons said in a statement shared on social media. The cause of death was not immediately disclosed.

Santokhi, chairman of the Progressive Reform Party, left office following last year’s elections. Although he received the highest number of votes as a member of parliament, his party narrowly trailed Simons’ National Democratic Party, leading to a coalition arrangement that installed Simons as president. Suriname’s president is elected indirectly, requiring the support of two-thirds of the National Assembly.

During his presidency, Santokhi implemented reforms backed by the International Monetary Fund, which critics said were insufficient in protecting vulnerable communities. In July, he acknowledged his shortcomings before lawmakers and expressed hope that his dedication would be remembered.

After leaving the presidency, Santokhi remained active in parliament. Earlier in his career, he served as police commissioner and justice minister, overseeing investigations into the 1982 killings of 15 government critics, a case tied to former President Desi Bouterse. Only one of the abducted individuals survived, and Bouterse was later convicted in 2019; he died in 2024 while a fugitive.

Santokhi’s legacy includes both his political reforms and his efforts to pursue justice for Suriname’s past human rights abuses.