Desiré Delano Bouterse (born October 13, 1945) has been a military sports instructor, coup leader, army leader and President of Suriname.
Bouterse's name is closely bound with the military regime that controlled Suriname from 1980 until the beginning of the 1990s. On February 25, 1980, the government of newly-independent Suriname underwent a military coup and Bouterse became Chairman of the National Military Council. Though the Suriname Presidency was retained, Bouterse was the nation's de facto ruler until his resignation in 1988. Bouterse founded the National Democratic Party (NDP). On July 19, 2010, he was elected as President of Suriname with 36 of 50 parliament votes.