Dési Bouterse

Desiré Delano "Dési" Bouterse (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈdesɪ ˈbʌutərsə]; born 13 October 1945) is a Surinamese politician who was President of Suriname from 2010 to 2020. From 1980 to 1987 he was Suriname's de facto leader after conducting a military coup and establishing a period of military rule. On 16 July 1999, Bouterse was sentenced in absentia in the Netherlands to 11 years' imprisonment after being convicted of trafficking 474 kg (1,045 lb) of cocaine. Bouterse always claimed innocence; he claimed that the star witness in the case, Patrick van Loon, was bribed by the Dutch government.

Dési Bouterse

Desiré Delano "Dési" Bouterse (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈdesɪ ˈbʌutərsə]; born 13 October 1945) is a Surinamese politician who was President of Suriname from 2010 to 2020. From 1980 to 1987 he was Suriname's de facto leader after conducting a military coup and establishing a period of military rule. On 16 July 1999, Bouterse was sentenced in absentia in the Netherlands to 11 years' imprisonment after being convicted of trafficking 474 kg (1,045 lb) of cocaine. Bouterse always claimed innocence; he claimed that the star witness in the case, Patrick van Loon, was bribed by the Dutch government.