Scott B. MacDonald, chief economist at Smith’s Research and Gradings and fellow at the Caribbean Policy Consortium: “On Feb. 17, Suriname’s capital erupted. A peaceful protest against an extended economic slump, austerity measures and corruption ended in the storming of parliament, looting and arrests. Worry over the riots was further fueled by President Chandrikapersad Santokhi’s being at a Caricom summit in the Bahamas, leaving some to ponder if the Feb. 17 events were an actual coup attempt or, at the very least, an effort by hidden forces to stir up problems. Although the Santokhi government quickly restored order, the riots are a new low point for the country. Three factors hang over the landscape. First is the economy: the downturn commenced during the final years of the Bouterse presidency, a period marked by considerable policy mismanagement, public sector debt build up and high-level corruption. In 2020, the Santokhi government inherited…”