All Entities Are 16 Years Further Down the Road October 11, 2026 It is not only Curaçao that must take stock of 16 years under a new constitutional status. All the countries and entities must do so. And for none of them has it been a success so far. The common denominator is that the people have not become better off. The islands are expensive. There is widespread poverty. Their populations are aging, while the younger generations are shrinking. Their identity is under pressu

16 Years as an Autonomous Country Within the Kingdom: Between Golden Talent and Bitter Reality October 9, 2026 Tomorrow marks exactly 16 years since Curaçao became an autonomous country within the Kingdom. Expectations were high at the time, but the harsh reality today is that we are the poorest country within the Kingdom. There are many things we no longer even need to debate; the facts speak for themselves. The island is dirty, traffic is in complete chaos, and healthcare a

Our Intellectual Debate: Men in Suits 7 October 2026 I had not planned to write today because I have a lot of work to do. But still, just a few words. In the newspaper, there were reports on two interesting lectures. The first was Human Rights Begin Here. At first glance, very interesting. But then it suddenly dawns on me. The keynote is almost entirely silent about the other human rights: economic, social and cultural rights. Human rights are not limited to civil and politic

Business as Usual During Renovation 8 October 2026 I also say: during the renovation, the kitchen remains open. I was reminded of this, among other things, because the Dutch House of Representatives raised questions about the intention to extend the country reform packages. Essentially, they do not believe that an extension will lead to actual implementation. And that position is justified. I see the same thing in other processes. Often, members of an organization think that

Apologies 5 October 2026 I read that King Charles will not apologize for slavery during his visit to the Caribbean in October 2026. Meanwhile, King Willem-Alexander not only apologized but also asked for forgiveness (in 2023). The descendants of enslaved people in Suriname have forgiven him. Meanwhile, in Curaçao, the discussion is mainly about money. Willem-Alexander has, at his own request, received five books, approximately 2,000 pages, containing the results of research i

It Is the Elite 6 October 2026 A few days ago, Stephen commented that the fact that Curaçao was not moving forward was due to an elite that is quite happy with things as they are. He received support for that view. For the sake of the discussion, I accused them of slipping rather quickly into the victim role and forgetting that voters themselves make their choices. They responded that it is not even about politics, but about the power behind politics. And of course, they have

Perception 4 October 2026 On Saturday, I have breakfast out with my better half. We are there just after eight. Usually, we are always at a different place. But this morning, we are back at the recently restored market. I say to her: we must make sure we don’t become regulars. What makes the market so attractive to me is not that it is clean and quiet. Or that the food is good and relatively affordable. But the fact that it is just about the only place where you can be sure t

Perception is reality 3 October 2026 This could be a book in itself. But it nevertheless began to dawn on me. Yesterday, the King received the results of an extensive study into the role of his ancestors in colonialism and slavery. It has been presented in such a way that the perception is more likely to improve than deteriorate. And in the coming years, many will devote their time to this. Some will perceive it as useful, others as a waste of time stating the obvious. Anothe

The Shore Will Eventually Turn the Ship Around 2 October 2026 It is so exhausting. The shore will eventually turn the ship around. Yesterday, I read in the newspaper that, after a multi-day conference, Aruba wants to take a different course with tourism. Growth should no longer be measured by the number of visitors. It comes down to more quality instead of quantity. Today, the editorial in the Antilliaans Dagblad raises the question of whether this is still possible. A few da

International Day of Older Persons 1 October 2026 Today is, therefore, the day of older persons. After lunch, I dare to acknowledge that, because I have not noticed a single message from the government. And this while 26 percent of the population is now over the age of 65. Curaçao is aging rapidly, and this process will continue at an accelerated pace. Meanwhile, the General Pension Act has still not been published and therefore has still not entered into force. 42 percent li

Unfortunately, We Will Not Solve Our Problems with the Current Politics 29 September 2026 Just try to make sense of the newspaper on a day like today. Spatial planning is failing because politics facilitates investors. Locals simply cannot compete with foreign investors in the real estate market. Psychological distress is widespread; young people in particular are struggling. The government is focusing on suicide prevention. Among those struggling are whistleblowers. By Septe

All You Need Is Love 16 September 2026 Agape love means unconditional, selfless, and self-sacrificing love that does not depend on feelings or anything in return. The Greeks had several words for love: Eros: romantic and physical love (passion). Philia: friendship, affection, and companionship (reciprocity). Storgē: the natural care and affection within a family. When I was young, almost every record was about love—eros, that is. With the arrival of rap, this changed. This mu

This Hell Was Once a Paradise 15 September 2026 It would seem like a funny title if the subject were not so painful. It took a lot of energy to get through the day today. Anything that was not done before ten o’clock became an ordeal because of the unbearable heat. Among other things, I spent some time on an article arguing that the climate crisis poses a greater threat to humanity than AI, which is becoming increasingly autonomous. But what particularly caught my attention i

The Implementation Gap in Curaçao and Bonaire 13 September 2026 On 11 September, I received Bonaire’s climate plan through my app. The plan had been formally adopted by the Executive Council. Shortly afterwards, I read in the newspaper: “216 million needed for climate plan.” It is the interim result of a process that officially started in 2024, although preparations had already begun earlier. A fine achievement. But apart from the fact that the necessary funding still has to