Day of Liberation and Innovation in 2024

When is Day of Liberation and Innovation

Until 2022, Day of Liberation and Innovation was a public holiday in the South American country of Suriname on February 25th.

This holiday commemorated the anniversary of the coup d'état which overthrew Prime Minister Arron on this day in 1980.

History of Day of Liberation and Innovation

From the late 17th century, Suriname had been under Dutch control. It gained independence in 1975 with Johan Ferrier becoming the first President and Henck Arron as the first Prime Minister.

Despite being the smallest nation on mainland South America, it is a very ethnically diverse country and these ethnic differences came to the fore after independence. 

Arron's regime was accused of fraud in the 1977 elections in which he won a further term in office. This created so much discontent in the country, that a third of the population decided to emigrate to the Netherlands.

On February 25th 1980, Arron was accused of corruption by high-ranking military officers.

He was overthrown and jailed in a coup d'état by the military-led by Dési Bouterse and 15 sergeants, giving the coup the name the Sergeants Coup. 

The sergeants who accomplished this coup were known as the Groep van zestien (the group of sixteen).  Bouterse was then made chairman of the National Military Council of Suriname, which replaced the democratic government and ruled Suriname until 1991.

President Ferrier refused to recognise this new government and he was duly removed in another coup five months later.

In July 2010, Bouterse was elected as President of Suriname. On becoming president, he made February 25th a public holiday to honour the coup d'état.

On the day of the coup, Bouterse's soldiers attacked and burned down the Central Police Station of Suriname. The remains of this building now form the "monument of the Revolution."