Dutch Royals, PM respond to fmr. Suriname President Chan Santokhi's sudden death
King Willem-Alexander, Queen Máxima, and Prime Minister Rob Jetten responded with dismay to the unexpected death of former Surinamese president Chan Santokhi. He died on Monday at the age of 67 in Paramribo. The royals spoke of a “great loss.”
The Dutch King and Queen said that they look back on Santokhi with “warm memories” in a joint statement published on social media. “In his own country and abroad, he was appreciated for his commitment to the democratic rule of law and to a safe society,” they said. “He also dedicated himself with conviction to strengthening the bond between Suriname and the Netherlands.”
Jetten wrote on X that he was “saddened and shocked” by the former president’s passing. “As president, and in his other roles, he meant a great deal to Suriname. He also worked tirelessly for the ties between the Netherlands and Suriname.”
Santokhi was president of Suriname from 2020 to 2025, succeeding Desi Bouterse, who had been in power for ten years and left the country in an economic crisis. Immediately after taking office, Santokhi sought contact with the Dutch government, and the two countries decided to exchange ambassadors again a few days later, ANP reported. Then-Prime Minister Mark Rutte visited Suriname two years later, the first visit by a Dutch Prime Minister in 14 years.
Last year, Santokhi lost the election to Jennifer Simons of the National Democratic Party (NDP), the political vehicle of Bouterse, who died in late 2024.
John Brewster of the Diaspora Institute Netherlands (DIN) told ANP that he was “deeply dismayed” by Santokhi’s sudden passing. “Mr. Santokhi will live on in memory as a statesman who recognized and cherished the value of the Surinamese diaspora,” he said.
Under Santokhi’s leadership, “the ties between Suriname and the community in the Netherlands were further strengthened and reinforced, with the aim of jointly building the future of our motherland,” Brewster said. “His years of dedication in various public functions and his unwavering commitment to the Surinamese cause leave an indelible impression.”
