Desi Bouterse, the former president of Suriname, has died at the age of 79 after a brief illness, according to local media reports. Following his death, his body was reportedly moved to Paramaribo, and preparations for an official announcement are underway by his family. Bouterse had been a fugitive after his conviction related to the December murders of 1982, having led Suriname’s military regime during the 1980s. He returned to power through elections in 2010 and was reelected in 2015.