President Dr. Irfaan Ali on Monday paid tribute to former Suriname President Chandrikapersad Santokhi, describing him as “a fine statesman,” a trusted regional partner and a personal friend whose death marks a significant loss for Suriname and the wider Caribbean.
In a statement issued following news of Santokhi’s passing, President Ali extended condolences on behalf of the Government and people of Guyana to the Government and people of Suriname and to Santokhi’s family.
“It is with a heavy heart that I have received the news of the passing of Hon. Chandrikapersad Santokhi, former President of the Republic of Suriname,” Ali said. “A voice of wisdom has fallen silent. A friend has left us.”
Santokhi, who served as President of Suriname from 2020 to 2025, died Monday at the age of 67 after suffering a medical emergency at his home, according to reports from Suriname and international media.
Ali said the late Surinamese leader played a key role in strengthening ties between the two neighbouring countries and advancing shared regional priorities through CARICOM and other international platforms.
“During his tenure as President, we walked a path together—leaders who understood that the destiny of our nations is woven from the same cloth,” Ali said.
The Guyanese Head of State said he and Santokhi shared a commitment to regional integration and cooperation, and often worked together on matters affecting the Caribbean and the wider Global South.
“We were brothers in regionalism, standing shoulder to shoulder in the councils of CARICOM,” Ali said, adding that beyond formal diplomacy, the relationship between the two leaders had grown into one of mutual trust and friendship.
Ali credited Santokhi with helping to deepen Guyana-Suriname relations, saying the former president understood the strategic and historic importance of cooperation between the two countries.
“Under his steady guidance, the relationship between Guyana and Suriname blossomed,” Ali said. “He understood, as I do, that the river which divides us also connects us, that our histories are intertwined, and that the prosperity of one cannot be separated from the prosperity of the other.”
Santokhi was a veteran public servant and political leader in Suriname, known both for his law enforcement background and later for his role in national politics. He remained active in public life after leaving office and continued to lead the Progressive Reform Party (VHP).
Ali said Santokhi’s death would be felt not only in Suriname but across the region.
“The region has lost a fine statesman, one who carried the mantle of leadership with grace and humility,” he said. “Guyana has lost a friend.”
In one of the most personal passages of the statement, Ali said Santokhi’s friendship had helped lighten the burden of leadership.
“I have lost a friend, someone whose presence in this world made the burdens of leadership lighter and the triumphs sweeter,” the President said.
Ali also offered words of comfort to Santokhi’s family and the people of Suriname, describing the late leader as “a man of quiet strength” who served with “dedication and conviction.”
He closed his tribute by saying Santokhi’s legacy would endure beyond his years in office.
“The sun sets now on a life well lived,” Ali said. “But for those of us who were privileged to walk alongside him, the light of his example, his friendship, and his brotherhood will not fade.”
“May he rest in eternal peace.”