16 Years as an Autonomous Country Within the Kingdom: Between Golden Talent and Bitter Reality

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 and education are in poor shape. Meanwhile, the population is aging, while the AOV (old-age pension) and other pensions remain meager. Public order, too, is slipping out of our hands. And I am not even attempting to be exhaustive.

Fortunately, there is another side to the story. It is an undeniable fact that we are a country that has competed in a World Cup. We are Little League world champions, and we have a baseball legend in the Hall of Fame. We remain an island full of talent, with a unique gene pool.

But the painful conclusion remains: after 16 years, we have still not managed to provide the majority of our people with a good quality of life.

Miguel Goede