Paramaribo (Surinam), 1936

By Equipo Latinoamericana

Mathematician and leader of the Black community, Ronald Venetiaan was the secretary of the National Party of Suriname (PNS), which represented Black citizens. He later served as Minister of Education from 1973 to 1980 and again from 1987 to 1990. He was the country’s president from 1991 to 1996, during which he faced military opposition. He lost the elections to Jules Wijdenbosch. Venetiaan was elected again in 2000, representing the New Front for Democracy and Development (NF) coalition, and was reelected in 2005. In 2010, Venetiaan handed over power to the elected candidate, Desi Bouterse. He was an active member of Parliament until 2012. The following year, he announced his permanent withdrawal from politics.