Follow the Money
September 23, 2024
Last week, a new anti-money laundering law was discussed in Parliament. In my car, I caught part of the debate, followed by several news segments and talk shows on the topic. I heard the opposition member, an attorney by profession, Sheldry Osepa, reveling in his moment of immunity as he explained why fighting crime-related money is so important. According to him, crime must not pay because it distorts the level playing field. If I remember correctly, he referenced Nigeria to illustrate how criminals live like gods in France and serve as role models for young people.
And then came the bombshell: Osepa stated that dirty money has infiltrated politics in Curaçao to such an extent that it even influences elections. He claimed that dirty money is used to support political campaigns. Surprisingly, there was no public outrage. And Osepa is not the first or only one to make such claims. In 2015, Minister Nelson Navarro said, two years after Wiels’ assassination, that the underworld had infiltrated the upper world. It's no coincidence that a team is dedicated to combating subversive crime.
As far back as the 1970s or 1980s, a Dutch police officer stationed here estimated that 70% of the population was directly or indirectly involved in drug trafficking. This is not just gossip. Court rulings in significant cases have named individuals and empirically established links between politics and dirty money. This undermines democracy because tainted money manipulates voters—at least 60% of the population who struggle to make ends meet is at risk of being influenced.
While the issue is significant here, we're not alone. Colleague Pieter Tops has been researching how dirty money undermines Dutch politics for years (see: Pieter Tops Interview). This can go very far. Just look at Venezuela, where recent elections were hijacked. That country has long been labeled a narco-state.
But now what? Nine people were arrested just two weeks ago, including individuals from prominent political families. The Public Prosecutor’s Office tries occasionally, but it admits to being overwhelmed and is widely known to lack capacity.
Miguel Goede
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