Suriname is one of Latin America’s poorest countries. Up until July 2020, the former Dutch colony was mired in a political crisis that emerged from the hotly contested May parliamentary elections. It saw incumbent, former military strongman and convicted murderer, Desiree Bouterse replaced by former police chief and justice minister Chandrikapersad Santokhi as the country’s president. This, it is hoped, clears the way for Suriname to access what is believed to be its considerable petroleum resources, which if correctly exploited could transform the deeply impoverished South American country. Suriname is one of the poorest countries in South America with a gross domestic product per capita of $6,855 for 2019, which is lower than Argentina, Brazil, and Peru. It is wealthier on this measure than neighboring Guyana which is undergoing what could become South America’s largest oil boom and was also mired in a political crisis until last month. The […]