Our Human Capital   26 November 2025   A human being is a human being, yet in economics, we have reduced people to a resource. This way of thinking—people as means—has become dominant. Human interaction is treated as a transaction; a tit-for-tat society. Much as this bothers me, I will go along with it for the sake of argument.   Besides sun and sea, Curaçao really has only one trustworthy resource: its people. The World Cup qualification proved this once again. It’s about ta

Sometimes Courage Falters and Hope Fades   24 november 2025   On November 12, 2025, I wrote: “Better to turn halfway than to go completely astray.”  This was in response to the announcement that economic policy would be adjusted to respect nature and heritage. For a brief moment, it seemed as if a genuine shift in direction was underway.   Now we have yet another new Minister of Economic Development. Although the policy has been in place for years—both on paper and in practic

In a Parallel Universe   23 November 2025   The Blue Wave has swept up the entire island: the success of the national football team qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. The Caribbean Sea is turbulent and far beyond. A few days ago, the Americans were said to have intercepted a Russian ship on its way to Venezuela. The airspace above Venezuela and the surrounding region is empty. In the Netherlands, drones have been spotted near locations where American nuclear warheads are stor

Diaspora is Gold   22 November 2025   What Curaçao’s qualification for the World Cup once again proves is that the diaspora is literally gold. You win the grand prize with it. The current squad consists entirely of boys born in the Netherlands to parents with Curaçaoan roots. And we have known that the diaspora can deliver gold ever since sprinter Churandy Martina shone under the Dutch flag and even carried that flag at the 2021 Games.   Diaspora is not a widely used term on

November is altijd een bijzondere maand, maar dit jaar des te meer. Curaçao heeft zich historisch weten te kwalificeren, en Suriname viert 50 jaar onafhankelijkheid. Beide mijlpalen zullen we natuurlijk niet ongenoemd laten tijdens onze bijeenkomst van dit jaar. Toch is dit ook een laatste oproep om je aan te melden. Op dinsdag 25 november, van 15:00 tot 17:00 uur , komen we online samen om terug te kijken op het turbulente, uitdagende en soms verrassende jaar 2025. Wat betek

You Only See It Once You Get It (Je gaat het pas zien als je het doorhebt)   21 November 2025   The title is a famous quote by Johan Cruijff, which Pieter Winsemius chose for his leadership book in 2004. Pieter was not only a partner at McKinsey but also a leading figure in the VVD and even served as a minister on behalf of the party. A fascinating man, when I first met him, not in person. Only twenty years later did I discover that he was the son of Albert Winsemius, the arc

Curaçao Suffers from Institutional Memory Loss   20 November 2025   What do I mean by that? Institutional memory is the knowledge held by institutions, organizations, and society as a whole — an understanding of how things work, how they are supposed to work, and where they come from. On Curaçao, much of that is being lost.   I had suspected this for years, but it became undeniable this year. There was a heated debate about whether 2 July is Flag Day, while the correct name h

This Shows That Curaçao Can Change 19 November 2025   Yesterday, 18 November 2025, I didn’t write. Not only because the tension surrounding the historic qualification had been building since the day before, but also due to personal circumstances. Something along the lines of the national coach — but different.   There was a call to join the Blue Wave everywhere, especially on social media — a movement that, in my view, is inspired by Oranje  and the Venezuelan La Vinotinto .

Family & Friends   17 November 2025   In the past, we still said "Friends & Family" when patronage was the norm and nepotism was concealed. In my training, we were focused entirely on patronage; nepotism and cronyism were not even mentioned. At the time, there was still a certain sense of shame that kept us in check. That restraint has now completely disappeared.   A few days ago, the Curaçao national coach left the squad just three or four days before the decisive match agai

The Bench of Curaçao   16 November 2025   What struck me most in the penultimate match of the national team against Bermuda was the bench – the reserve players. After the third or fourth goal, Dick Advocaat substituted a handful of players; he took nearly all the star players off the field. And… the team kept playing well and even extended the score to the final 7–0.   What does this tell us? Curaçao has more talent. There is even talent that is not on the bench at all: playe

As 2025 comes to a close, a few threads stand out, connecting the many events that shaped our world and Curaçao. Elections, political shifts, technological leaps, and global challenges have marked the year. From Curaçao’s March elections and a new government majority, to Trump’s return in the U.S., Maduro seeking another term in Venezuela, and Suriname electing its first female president, 2025 has been a year of change and reflection. Across the globe, Europe feels heightened

Bread, Circuses, and the Horizon Saturday, late morning   15 November 2025   It’s Saturday, late in the morning. For various reasons, I returned home much later than usual after breakfast. On our way to get coffee, we drove through the city. We passed the decorated dome where thousands watched Curaçao’s World Cup qualifier against Bermuda — and where crowds will gather again this Thursday for the match against Jamaica.   Further into town, streets were already being blocked o

The Day After   14 November 2025   With yesterday’s 7–0 victory over a weak Bermuda side, Curaçao now stands for the first time in history at the gates of football heaven: the 2026 World Cup. We would become the smallest country ever to qualify for the world's biggest sporting event. The island is buzzing with energy. You could see it clearly in the thousands who watched the match on the big screen.   But the day after, the problems are still there. While the euphoria still h

The Only Time You Look Down on Someone   13 November 2025   There’s a quote that says: “The only time you look down on a man is to uplift him.”   I’m not a fan of theories that explain everything through the lens of colonialism and slavery. I admitted that again to a colleague from the Netherlands last Monday. In fact, I have an aversion to them because they tend to put people in a permanent victim role. And yet, it is not a theory we can throw away.   You see, there’s someth

Better Turn Back Halfway Than Go Completely Astray   12 November 2025   The Dutch saying “ Liever ten halve gekeerd dan ten hele gedwaald ” means it’s better to turn back halfway than to persist in the wrong direction. That thought came to me this morning when I came across two news items.   The first was about the University of Curaçao, which is now focusing on planetary health and health in general — a promising direction. Yet only in September, the same university was caug

Dead Tired   12 November 12   Some days feel exhausting before they even begin. You feel it in your body — but also around you, in conversations, in faces, in the air. Yesterday, I woke up already tired. Maybe because I had to be at the gym early with my trainer. After that, I had to leave my PC at the repair shop. Meanwhile, I’m trying to arrange how — not tomorrow, but soon — I’ll have to be on another island for a job. I’m postponing the car wash until Saturday — hopefully

Ecoliberalism   10 November 2025   In a world struggling with burnout, inequality, and ecological collapse, we are all searching for a way forward. I’m writing a bit late today—not only because I had more appointments outside the house than I would have liked, but also because I had to make my way through Kees Klomp’s book Ecoliberalisme: Een veranderverhaal over ware vrijheid  (Ecoliberalism: A Transformative Story About True Freedom).   Klomp, known for his work on the mean

Review 2025 – End-of-Year Conference Tuesday, November 25, 2025 | 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM Online Event As 2025 comes to an end, it’s time to reflect, learn, and look ahead. We invite you to join the End-of-Year Conference 2025, an inspiring online event that brings together thought leaders, changemakers, and engaged citizens to discuss the key developments that shaped this year—and the trends that will define Curaçao’s future. During this two-hour webinar, we will revisit the highl

AI Rises as Democracy Falls   November 2025   Artificial Intelligence is rising while democracy is declining. The question is: is there a correlation? Across the globe, democracy is eroding and authoritarianism is gaining ground. Meanwhile, leaders pay lip service to the ideals of a “human-centric society” and “shared prosperity.”   The crucial question is whether AI will strengthen democracy—or undermine it. What we see today is that AI provides the very tools that enable au

Our Institutions: How Did It Come to This?   8 November 2025   Institutions are made up of people, and people make up society. Institutions form the pillars of both the rule of law and our social order. They are, in essence, the solidified expression of our shared values.   But over the past fifteen years, those institutions have weakened. The reason is simple, yet devastating: people who do not stand for the values of the institutions have entered them — and, worse, risen to