King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands have arrived in Suriname, a former Dutch colony, for a three-day visit. This is the royal family's first visit to the country in about 50 years.
"We will not shy away from history and its painful pages, especially slavery," the King of the Netherlands said.
Slavery was officially abolished in Suriname in 1863, but a "transitional period" continued for another 10 years. The Netherlands transported 600,000 Africans to the country as enslaved people in the 16th and 17th centuries, mainly from South America and the Caribbean.
In 2022, the Dutch government, and in 2023, the King himself, apologized for the history of slavery.
During the visit, the royal couple met with descendants of enslaved peoples, representatives of indigenous peoples, and traditional communities. Some Afro-Surinamese people criticized the plan because the King did not lay a wreath at the monument to the abolition of slavery.
A 2023 study found that between 1675 and 1770, the Dutch royal family received an income of 545 million euros in modern terms from the colonies (where slavery prevailed).
The King emphasized that the Netherlands wants to build a new relationship with Suriname based on equality and mutual respect.
