10 Most Famous People from Suriname

Johan Ferrier by Willem van de Poll from Wikimedia Commons

10 Most Famous People from Suriname

Suriname, which borders Guyana to the west, French Guiana to the east, and Brazil to the south, is a country on the northeastern coast of South America. 163,820 km2 make up the nation. The main city in the nation is the capital, Paramaribo, which is situated on the Suriname River. It is the smallest independent country in South America and additionally, they have famous people that are worth knowing, read on and see who they are and what they are all about. 

1. Melvin Manhoef

Melvin Manhoef by Paulblank from Wikimedia Commons

Professional kickboxer and mixed martial artist Melvin Manhoef is Dutch-Surinamese. He was the Cage Rage World Light Heavyweight Champion in mixed martial arts, as well as the former It’s Showtime 85MAX World Champion in kickboxing. In addition, he has participated in K-1, ONE FC, DREAM, RINGS, It’s Showtime, Strikeforce, and KSW.

2. Dési Bouterse

Bouterse by Pieter Van Maele from Wikimedia Commons

As of today, Desiré Delano “Dési” Bouterse is Suriname’s ninth president. He oversaw Suriname from 1980 to 1987, a time when the nation was governed by the military. Bouterse is the head of the National Democratic Party, a constituent organization of the Surinamese political alliance Megacombinatie.

With 36 of the 50 votes cast in parliament, Bouterse was elected president of Suriname on July 19, 2010, and he took office on August 12. The most divisive person in Suriname is likely Bouterse. He is accountable for the countless breaches of human rights carried out under his reign, including the Moiwana Massacre and the December Murders.

3. Ruth Jacott

Ruth jacott by Ton Mackaaij from Wikimedia Commons

A Dutch vocalist by the name of Ruth Jacott is Suriname-born. As the Netherlands’ representative at the 1993 Eurovision Song Contest, Jacott made the switch from musical theater to popular music. Although “Vrede,” one of her songs, was one of the favorites to win, it finished sixth out of 25 at Millstreet. Since then, she has put out nine albums in Dutch, four of which reached the Top 10 of the Dutch charts.

4. Regi Blinker

Blinker by Dmitry Parshin from Wikimedia Commons

A former Dutch football player of Surinamese descent named Reginald “Regi” Waldi Blinker was a left winger. He played three years in Scotland with Celtic throughout his playing career and was mainly associated with Feyenoord. He was also noted for his dreadlocked haircut.

5. Murthel Groenhart

Murthel Groenhart by Paulblank from Wikimedia Commons

Murthel “The Predator” Groenhart is a Dutch-Surinamese super middleweight Muay Thai kickboxer who competes for Mike’s Gym in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Mike Passenier is his trainer. He currently competes for the It’s Showtime organization and is the 2008 K-1 Italy Oktagan and 2012 K-1 World MAX World Championship Tournament champion. According to LiverKick.com, Groenhart is now listed as the second-best middleweight in the world as of December 2012.

6. Marco Piqué

Dutch-Surinamese welterweight kickboxer Marco “The Sniper” Piqué competes out of Profighters Gym in Almere, Netherlands. He has competed in two K-1 MAX regional tournament finals and is currently the middleweight world champion in Muay Thai for the World Full Contact Association.

7. Nordin Wooter

Former Dutch football player Nordin Wooter is Surinamese by birth. He played for Ajax in the Dutch Eredivisie, Real Zaragoza in the Spanish La Liga, and Watford in the English Premier League before joining the latter for the then-record-breaking sum of £950,000 in 1999.

He made his Watford debut against Chelsea in a famous 1-0 victory. In subsequent matches against Leicester City, Norwich City, and Wimbledon, he scored three goals for Watford. He also participated in the under-18 and under-21 Dutch teams.

8. Johan Ferrier

Johan Ferrier by Willem van de Poll from Wikimedia Commons

From November 25, 1975, through August 13, 1980, politician Johan Henri Eliza Ferrier presided over Suriname as its first president. From 1968 until 1975, he served as both the nation’s final governor under the Dutch Empire and its first president upon its independence. On August 13, 1980, a military coup removed him. In 1999, Suriname honored him as the most significant politician of the 20th century.

9. Lloyd van Dams

Lloyd van Dams by Chris Payap from Wikimedia Commons

Super heavyweight kickboxer Lloyd “The Tornado” van Dams is Dutch-Surinamese. He was once a world, European, and Dutch Muay Thai champion. In Utrecht, Netherlands, Lloyd launched his own gym in 2006 called Fight Club Van Dams. Although he still competes professionally, he spends most of his time at his gym training up-and-coming fighters.

10. Letitia Vriesde

Suriname-born track & field competitor Letitia Alma Vriesde. The 800 m is her primary race. She is the first athlete from Surinam to participate in five Olympics. Vriesde is the holder of the South American records for the 800, 1000, 1500, and 3000 meters.

These great people all hail from Suriname, are there any people that we’ve left out? Kindly let us know.