Ronald Runaldo Venetiaan (18 June 1936 – 5 November 2025) was a Surinamese politician who served as President of Suriname between 1991 and 1996, and between 2000 and 2010.
Early life and career
Venetiaan was born in Paramaribo on 18 June 1936. He left Suriname in 1955 and moved to the Netherlands to study mathematics and physics at the University of Leiden, and became a mathematics and physics teacher. until Arron's overthrow by the 1980 Surinamese coup d'état led by Dési Bouterse. Venetiaan won an absolute majority of 37 from 51 votes in Parliament, and won his third term in 2005, completing the term until 2010. Venetiaan resigned as the Chair of the NPS and handed over the leadership to Gregory Rusland in 2012; he subsequently retired from politics in 2013, and an author. His first poetry book was written under the pseudonym Vene in the work Mamio (1962) and he used the pseudonym Krumanty in other writings. Although most of his works were never published, they were performed in theatre plays, and he collaborated on President Chan Santokhi's We gaan Suriname redden (We are going to save Suriname) book of 2020.
Venetiaan was married to Liesbeth Vanenburg, and had three daughters and one son. President Jennifer Geerlings-Simons lamented his death and said that Venetiaan was "a statesman" and "great son of the nation", praising his commitment to democracy.
- 60px Grand Cordon of the Honorary Order of the Palm – 1991
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- 60px Collar of the Order of the Southern Cross – 1995
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- 60px Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Orange-Nassau – 1978
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- 60px Collar of the Order of the Liberator – 1993