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.
Published June 29, 2025 · Frisian News