Brazil negotiating trade and aid deal with Suriname

By Warren Hoge, Special To the New York Times

Brazil, in a break with international efforts to isolate the leftist government of Suriname, is negotiating a trade and aid package with the former Dutch colony.

The Netherlands and the United States cut off aid in December, and Colombia and Venezuela later turned down requests for help. The decisions followed the executions Dec. 9 of 15 of Suriname’s most prominent citizens, the closing down of independent news organizations, the shuttering of unions, the imposition of a curfew and the banning of gatherings of more than three people. The slain men had formed a group calling on Suriname’s military ruler, Lieut. Col. Desi Bouterse, to return to democratic rule and end his alignment with Cuba.

The Brazilians say they are acting in the interests of containing Cuban influence and in response to declarations by Surinamese leaders that they seek a closer association with other South American countries. Secret Mission in April

”We take those declarations at face value,” said Ramiro Saraiva Guerreiro, the Brazilian Foreign Minister. Gen. Danilo Venturini, President Joao Baptista Figueiredo’s troubleshooter, told the Senate ”it would be bad for a neighboring country to become the ally of nations that could bring problems to Brazil.”

Source:

Link:

https://www.nytimes.com/1983/06/12/world/brazil-negotiating-trade-and-aid-deal-with-suriname.html

Internal Link:

Date:
June 12, 1983
Categories:
Desi Bouterse
Tags:
Arms Deal
Boxes:
Press
Years:
1983
Persons:
META DATA
    Scroll to Top