MADRID, 20 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Suriname authorities have reported this Sunday that 119 people have been arrested and about 19 have been injured as a result of the riots that occurred this Friday after the assault on the Suriname Parliament in Paramaribo.
Last Friday, a protest took place in the streets of Suriname against the austerity reforms proposed by the government of President Chan Santokhi, which led to an attempt to break into Parliament as well as looting of various businesses in the capital.
According to ‘TeleSur’, the authorities have arrested 119 people, 83 of them suspected of participating in the robberies of businesses, and charges were filed against 37.
After the demonstrations and the dispersal by police officers using tear gas, most of the shops have remained closed over the weekend.
The demonstrators also demanded in the protests the resignation of the president of Suriname, Chan Santokhi, due to his decision to eliminate the subsidies, a measure communicated by the Government days before and that includes the end of aid in electricity and fuel, among others.
Also, the increase in inflation that affects the purchase of basic products has been another of the claims of the protests, according to the aforementioned channel.
The authorities have reiterated that the break-in at the legislative headquarters was a planned action and recalled that the participants in the protests tried to destroy and set fire to the building, as well as other properties in the capital, according to the aforementioned media.
In light of the situation, the Secretary General of the United Nations, António Guterres, has expressed “concern” and has called on all parties involved to address the country’s challenges through dialogue.
The country’s government has imposed an austerity policy with the aim of cutting expenses and thus adjusting to the economic restructuring program with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Suriname reached an agreement for 690 million dollars with the IMF, but the funds ended up frozen because they did not meet the required conditions.