Chandrikapersad Santokhi, Suriname’s ex-President and investigator of 1982 political killings, dies at 67.

Exam-focused facts from the 1 April 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

Chandrikapersad Santokhi served as President of Suriname from 2020 to 2025.
He previously held the post of Minister of Justice and Police from 2005 to 2010.
As a police commissioner, Santokhi led the probe into the December 1982 killings of 15 political opponents.
He chaired the Progressive Reform Party from 2011 after Ramdien Sardjoe’s resignation.
Suriname’s economic stabilisation during his presidency was partly supported by an International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme.
His austerity measures included phasing out fuel, water and electricity subsidies, triggering protests in February 2023.
Voters denied him a second term in the May 2025 general election.