The peace loving people of neighboring Suriname who cherished their cultural heritage more than any other people in the western hemisphere has never had to deal with a dictator like LFS Burnham who ruled Guyana with an iron fist for 21 years. The former Dutch colony in South American became independent in 1975. The country's economy thrived and its people prospered until a military coup shook the heart of the nation in 1980.  Many were killed and the nation faced a monster from the military that they never dreamt would ever happened.  Fortunately, Suriname returned to democratic rule quickly. Guyana, on the other hand had to endured 28 consecutive years of dictatorial rule which resulted in a mass exodus of its people, a bitter racial legacy, and a collapse of the economy. The Guyanese economy took a while to come back while the Surinamee's economy bounced back quickly. Suriname was fortunate not to have fallen into the hands of man like LFS Burnham