Olton Willem van Genderen (17 October 1921 – 9 November 1990) was a

Suriname Suriname (; srn, Sranankondre or ), officially the Republic of Suriname ( nl, Republiek Suriname , srn, Ripolik fu Sranan), is a country on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north ...

se civil servant and politician. He served as

Deputy Prime Minister of Suriname The Deputy Prime Minister of Suriname () was a title given to a member of the Cabinet of Ministers of Suriname between 1954 and 1988, often to recognize members of other parties in the ruling coalition. The deputy prime minister served as actin ...

from 24 December 1973 until the

coup d'état A coup d'état (; French for 'stroke of state'), also known as a coup or overthrow, is a seizure and removal of a government and its powers. Typically, it is an illegal seizure of power by a political faction, politician, cult, rebel group, m ...

of 25 February 1980. He was one of the main negotiators for the

Independence of Suriname The early history of Suriname dates from 3000 BCE when Native Americans first inhabited the area. The Dutch acquired Suriname from the English, and European settlement in any numbers dates from the 17th century, when it was a plantation colony ...

Biography

Van Genderen was born on 17 October 1921 in Albina. He worked for the customs agency. In 1950s, he went to Rotterdam for four years, and became a licensed

customs officer A customs officer is a law enforcement agent who enforces customs laws, on behalf of a government. Canada Canadian customs officers are members of the Canada Border Services Agency. It was created in 2003 and preceded by the Canada Customs and ...

. Van Genderen became active in the trade union and politics. He was given the honorary title ''Da Djendé'' ( Ndyuka: Beautiful teacher). In 1958, he was first elected to the

Estates of Suriname The National Assembly (''De Nationale Assemblée'', ''The Assembly'', commonly abbreviated "DNA") is the Parliament, representing the legislative branch of government in Suriname. It is a unicameral legislature. The assembly has been situated in ...

, and was re-elected five times. On 16 May 1967, he was elected Chairman of the Estates of Suriname, and served until 1 September 1969. On 15 December 1973, he was re-elected as Chairman, however he resigned on 28 December, because on 24 December, he had been elected as

Deputy Prime Minister A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president, ...

of Suriname in the Arron cabinet. He also served as Minister of District Administration and Decentralisation. The Arron government was in dialogue with the Dutch government about the

, and van Genderen became one of the main negotiators. On 25 November 1975, Suriname became an independent country. In 1977, he was appointed Minister of the Interior which was the successor of Ministry of District Administration and Decentralisation. On 25 February 1980, Desi Bouterse committed a coup d'état. Arron went into hiding, however van Genderen was captured. On 26 February, van Genderen and Minister Badrising announced the surrender of the government on television, and asked the population not to resist the military regime. On 28 February, Arron surrendered to the regime. Van Genderen was placed under

house arrest In justice and law, house arrest (also called home confinement, home detention, or, in modern times, electronic monitoring) is a measure by which a person is confined by the authorities to their residence. Travel is usually restricted, if all ...

until February 1981. On 19 June 1981, van Genderen was sentenced to four months imprisonment minus time served under house arrest, and a total fine of ƒ 55,000. Van Genderen died on 9 November 1990, at the age of 69.

Honours and legacy

* : Commander in the

Honorary Order of the Yellow Star The Honorary Order of the Yellow Star (Dutch: ''Ere-Orde van de Gele Ster'') is the highest state decoration of the Republic of Suriname. The Order was instituted in 1975 at the independence of Suriname and replaced the Dutch Order of the Nether ...

. * : Officer in the

Order of Orange-Nassau The Order of Orange-Nassau ( nl, Orde van Oranje-Nassau, links=no) is a civil and military Dutch order of chivalry founded on 4 April 1892 by the queen regent, Emma of the Netherlands. The order is a chivalric order open to "everyone who has ...

(1967). * : Knight in the

Order of Francisco de Miranda The Order of Francisco de Miranda (''Orden Francisco de Miranda'') is conferred by the Republic of Venezuela in memory of Francisco de Miranda (1754–1816). This national honor and decoration was created to recognize Venezuelan citizens and fore ...

. In 2021, the Emmastraat in Albina was renamed Olton Willem van Genderen Boulevard in his honour.

References

External links

*
Olton Willem van Genderen Foundation
{{DEFAULTSORT:Genderen, Olton van 1921 births 1990 deaths People from Marowijne District National Party of Suriname politicians Government ministers of Suriname Chairmen of the Estates of Suriname Surinamese politicians Officers of the Order of Orange-Nassau Honorary Order of the Yellow Star