How the Dutch Treated Suriname After Independence
June 29, 2025 · Frisian News
The Dutch largely abandoned Suriname after 1975 independence, cutting aid and investment while thousands of Surinamese fled to the Netherlands. The relationship reveals how colonial powers often shed former colonies without meaningful support.
Today, Suriname remains one of the poorest nations in South America, despite possessing oil reserves and other natural resources. The Dutch built nothing to help Suriname manage or profit from these assets. They left no functional state, no trained bureaucracy, no industrial base. When the Surinamese tried to take charge of their own future, they found themselves starting from nearly nothing. This pattern of colonial abandonment repeats across the globe, yet few former colonizers admit their role in the lasting damage.
Hjoed is Surinam noch altyd ien fan 'e armste naasjes fan Súd-Amerika, nettsjinsteande oljereserves en oare natuerlike helpmiddelen. De Nederlânders bouen neat om Surinam te helpen dizze middelen te behearskjen of fan te profitearjen. Se lieten gjin funksjonearjende steat, gjin skoalfeike byrokraty, gjin yndustriële basis efter. Doe't de Surinamers har eigen takomst yn hân nimme wiene, troffen sy har sûnder folle help oan. Dit patroan fan koloniale ferlieten werhellet har oer 'e hiele wrâld, mar net folle ferline kolonisatoren jouwe ta wat se foar skea sorge hawwe.
Published June 29, 2025 · Frisian News · Ljouwert, Fryslân