Less Work For The Same Pay Just When You Think It Can’t Get Any Crazier 23 January 2026 Another one of those news items you first leave aside, because you simply cannot believe it. Yet it was right there in the media: civil servants in Curaçao want to follow the global trend of working less for the same pay (Curaçao.nu, 2026). This is in a context where citizens have, for years, received little value for their tax money. Where basic public services routinely fail, and the gov

Paying Taxes Is for Fools   22 January 2026   The news about the exoneration of more than three billion guilders in tax debts up to and including 2017 has been in the headlines for several days now (Rekenkamer Curaçao, 2026). This is not about a handful of CRIB numbers, but about more than 80,000 CRIB numbers. The Antilliaans Dagblad  devoted an editorial to the issue. Its conclusion: non-payment is being rewarded (Antilliaans Dagblad, 2026). I fully agree.   Before I go any

The New World Order 22 January 2026 While we rightly celebrate our sporting achievements, a new world order is taking shape. This is happening, among other places, at the gathering of the global elite in Davos during the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum—an event that is far from uncontroversial. Here, we only start paying attention to this real transformation after developments around Maduro escalate, and even then we do so superficially, because our media and unive

Hall of Fame   20 January 2026   In all likelihood, Andruw Jones, The Curaçao Kid , will finally receive the honor of being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. It is an enormous personal achievement. Judging by his statistics, no one would argue that he does not belong there. And yet, he had to wait nine years. I sometimes think that foreigners like Andruw have to be five times as good as Americans to receive the same recognition.   This honor will once again place Curaç

Verstappen on Blocks: Resetting the Civil Service of Curaçao   21 January 2026   My wife has more or less forbidden me from ever again accepting a ministerial or senior executive position in Curaçao. (I am not sure I will obey.) Even so, she has a valid point. It comes down to this: the administrative apparatus at your disposal fails to meet even the minimum requirements needed to steer effectively. I have since found a way to explain her argument to others.   In Curaçao, we

Curaçao is Paradise   20 January 2026   Curaçao has increasingly acquired the image of being the ultimate holiday island (USA Today, 2026). But appearances can be deceiving, because those who look more closely will see another Curaçao.   An island that serves as a hub for criminal money flows within an international network of underground banking and money laundering ( Curacao.nu , 2026). This emerges from rulings by the District Court of Overijssel, which sentenced several s

The Year Is Still New   18 January 2026   You wouldn’t think so, but it is only the third weekend of 2026. It feels different because in a short period of time, so much has already happened that would normally fill an entire year. On 3 January, the United States attacked Venezuela, or however one chooses to describe it. Shortly afterwards, two ministers and the minister plenipotentiary were forced to step down. At the same time, carnival kicked off at full speed. Tourism is e

Curaçao is Paradise   19 January 2026   Curaçao has increasingly acquired the image of being the ultimate holiday island. But appearances can be deceiving, because those who look more closely will see another Curaçao.   An island that serves as a hub for criminal money flows within an international network of underground banking and money laundering ( Curacao.nu , 2026). This emerges from rulings by the District Court of Overijssel, which sentenced several suspects to long pr

Caracasbaai Is Lost   16 January 2026   As everyone knows, I used to swim daily in Caracasbaai  and regularly shared photos of the beach. In October 2025, I went on vacation, and afterwards, I never really picked it up again because of the flu, rain, and so on. But the real reason is that Caracas Bay is no longer itself. Not only is it too crowded, but I no longer trust the quality of the water. The area has become increasingly built up, and no one can clearly explain to me h

No More Hotels   17 January 2026   Worldwide, No More Hotels  is an increasingly loud and frequently chanted slogan. This call is now also becoming louder in Curaçao—and rightly so. Today’s newspaper reports that tourism grew by 9% in 2025 and that in December alone, more than 80,000 tourists visited the island ( Curaçao.nu , 2025).   This year, several hotels are scheduled to open their doors, including the hotel on Penstraat.   In the same newspaper, one can read that Sones

Screening   15 January 2026   In a short period of time, two ministers and the minister plenipotentiary were forced to step down. This inevitably raises questions about the purpose and effectiveness of the screening process prior to a ministerial appointment. That process always takes a long time; the formation of this cabinet was no exception and dragged on endlessly. At first, there were rumors that several candidates would not make the cut, only for it to turn out that, in

The State of the World   15 January 2026   Since the extraction of Maduro on 3 January in Caracas, there has been little calm. For many people, the situation has become difficult to interpret. What comes next? Will Chavismo remain in power? Will oil companies invest again? And can Curaçao benefit? Meanwhile, attention appears to be shifting toward Greenland. Pietro held a constructive conversation with Trump. Claudia Sheinbaum, too, must remain on her guard. All of this is un

Conglomerate   14 January 2025   A conglomerate is a large company made up of multiple businesses with very diverse activities, often in completely unrelated sectors. Organizationally, it fits what Henry Mintzberg describes as the divisional structure: relatively autonomous units under one central holding.   Recently, citizens of Curaçao learned that Aqualectra is now also managing public transport, the ABC Bus Company. This means Aqualectra is no longer responsible only for

An Island of Peace Requires a Culture of Peace   13 January 2026   In higher circles, there appears to be growing reflection on positioning Curaçao as an international platform for peace and peace negotiations. This idea recently gained additional weight when the Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs suggested that the ABC islands could play a role in potential negotiations concerning Venezuela (Curaçao Chronicle, 2025). It is an ambition that appeals to the imagination. At the s

Fool on the Hill   12 February 2026   Long ago, at a time when there was still a clear distinction between university and higher professional education, I once told my wife that it is difficult for someone standing at the bottom of the stairs to understand what can be seen from the top. From below, you simply cannot see what lies above. Only when you take a step yourself does the perspective change.   She still reminds me of that remark, especially in situations where it prov

The Civil Service of Curaçao An Update   11 January 2026   Much has been written about the civil service of Curaçao, including by me. A comprehensive article dates back to 2019, in which I analyzed the structural weaknesses and historical baggage of the apparatus (Goede, 2019). It is time for an update.   The current civil service acquired its formal shape on 10 October 2010, when Curaçao became an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. This was by no means

Small-Scale Reality   10 January 2026   Much has already been said and written about our small scale, often to explain why it leads to limitations. Yet these limitations are not always the result of absolute scarcity, but rather of our failure to make effective use of the limited resources and human capital we do have. This is precisely why the achievements of our athletes—most recently the qualification of our football team for the 2026 World Cup—are so exceptional. They dem

When everything flies: from the rule of law to the rule of the strongest   January 7, 2026   What began to emerge in the United States in January 2025 has now spread globally. From the alleged “shooting from the sea” of narco-terrorists to the extraction of President Maduro from his bed in Caracas, the international rule of law appears to be unraveling. If this is not corrected, no one will be able to effectively restrain another major power. Imagine China annexing Taiwan, or

Pragmatism Without Illusions: Curaçao Between Trump and Venezuela   6 January 2026   In recent days, a Reel circulated on social media in which a Curaçaoan opposition leader called for pragmatism in dealing with Venezuela. The argument was straightforward: regardless of style or moral objections, the removal of Maduro is what matters; anything that contributes to that goal should be welcomed. The position sounds realistic, but analytically, it is weak.   I responded sharply,

Losing the Thread, Information Overload   5 January 2026   For months, geopolitical developments remained in the background of international news. Now they dominate the front pages, filling columns and headlines.   The New Year’s mood has evaporated. Not only because of the war, which is what it is, but also because of events such as Fuik Day and the opening of the carnival season. Together, these developments have pushed our structural problems into the background. At presen