Apologies

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 into just how deeply his ancestors were implicated in the colonial system and slavery. That was in early October.

In this context, it is strange, to put it mildly, that the Netherlands abstained from voting on the UN resolution declaring the transatlantic slave trade and the enslavement of Africans the gravest crime against humanity. It did so without consulting the other countries within the Kingdom — the so-called democratic deficit within the Kingdom. We are talking about March 2026.

But the Netherlands was not alone. The United Kingdom also abstained from voting.

That does raise a question. What do apologies and forgiveness mean if you subsequently do not vote in favor of such a resolution?

Miguel Goede