PARAMARIBO, Suriname, Apr 7,CMC- Suriname on Tuesday bade a final farewell to former president Chandrikapersad Santokhi whose grieving wife, Melissa, an attorney said she “only wanted to protect him, against exploitation, against the abuse of his body”.
Santokhi, 67, a former police officer who served as the ninth president of this Dutch-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICCOM) country, died last week after he had been rushed to hospital.
“He was not only a father to his own children, but also to his brothers and sisters. He was there for them and played a part in shaping their upbringing. One thing was certain: we adored him. He loved good food, but he could also cook delicious dishes himself, such as stuffed bitter melon.
”I did not want to restrict him; I only wanted to protect him, against exploitation, against the abuse of his body,” Mrs Santokhi told mourners, adding that her husband “was not only a man of decisiveness, but also of faith”.
She recalled that every relationship has its own dynamic and that “love lies in small things, in a hand that reaches out to yours”.
(Details in Full News section)
CMC/2026