Ronnie Brunswijk

Ronnie Brunswijk
Brunswijk in 2020
8th Vice President of Suriname
Incumbent
Assumed office
16 July 2020
PresidentChan Santokhi
Preceded byAshwin Adhin
Chairman of the National Assembly of Suriname
In office
29 June 2020 – 14 July 2020
Preceded byJennifer Simons
Succeeded byMarinus Bee
Member of the National Assembly
Incumbent
Assumed office
2005
ConstituencyMarowijne District
Leader of the General Liberation and Development Party
Incumbent
Assumed office
11 February 1990
Preceded byParty established
Personal details
Born (1961-03-07) 7 March 1961 (age 63)
Moiwana, Suriname[1]
Political partyGeneral Liberation and Development Party
Spouse
Beatrix Esajas
​
(divorced)​
[2]
Domestic partnerAdolfina 'Fine' Cairo
ChildrenDamian, Elton, Pascal,[3] and Yoni
RelativesClyde and Steven (nephew)
WebsiteThe National Assembly
Association football career
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Inter Moengotapoe (captain)
Number 61
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1987–2011 Inter Moengotapoe
2021– Inter Moengotapoe
Managerial career
2002–2011 Inter Moengotapoe (player-owner)
2011–2021 Inter Moengotapoe (owner)
2021– Inter Moengotapoe (player-owner)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Ronnie Brunswijk (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈrɔni ˈbrʏnsʋɛik]; born 7 March 1961) is a Surinamese politician, businessman, former rebel leader, footballer and convicted drug trafficker,[4] who is serving as the current Vice President of Suriname.

Brunswijk served as the personal bodyguard of military dictator Dési Bouterse in the early 1980s, but was discharged after asking for a raise, and denied back pay.[2] In 1985, he formed the Surinamese Liberation Army, better known as the Jungle Commando. Brunswijk sought to gain recognition and rights for the Maroon minority of the interior, descendants of runaway African slaves who had established independent communities in the 17th and 18th centuries.[5][1] From 1986, his forces fought against the national military under Bouterse in the Surinamese Interior War, a civil war that resulting in hundreds of deaths and more than 10,000 refugees in French Guiana,[6] until a peace treaty was signed in 1992.[7]

Brunswijk remained active in politics, serving as chair of the General Liberation and Development Party (Algemene Bevrijdings- en Ontwikkelingspartij, ABOP), and as a representative in the National Assembly. In addition he is the owner of Marowijne football club Inter Moengotapoe, which he has also appeared for as a player. On 29 June 2020, Brunswijk became Chairperson of the National Assembly of Suriname.[8]

On 13 July, Brunswijk was elected vice-president by acclamation in an uncontested election.[9] He was inaugurated on 16 July.[10]

  1. ^ a b "Het bloedbad van Moiwana in Suriname". Is Geschiedenis.nl (in Dutch). 29 November 2016. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  2. ^ a b Bonno Thoden van Velzen (1988). "De Brunswijk-opstand: Antropologische kanttekeningen bij de Surinaamse burgeroorlog". University of Groningen (in Dutch). Sociologische Gids. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  3. ^ "Brunswijk: Ik vind het erg dat Elton cocaïne wilde uitvoeren". Star Nieuws (in Dutch). Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  4. ^ Kurmanaev, Anatoly (8 January 2021). "Guerrilla Leader, Drug Baron, Gold Magnate … and Now Social Reformer?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  5. ^ "The Ndyuka Treaty Of 1760: A Conversation with Granman Gazon". Cultural Survival. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  6. ^ "Panorama de la population immigrée en Guyane" (PDF). INSEE. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference peace was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference chair was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ "Live blog: Verkiezing president en vicepresident Suriname". De Ware Tijd (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 15 January 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  10. ^ "Breaking: Ronnie Brunswijk ingezworen als vicepresident Suriname". Suriname Herald (in Dutch). Retrieved 16 July 2020.