Shocks

Shocks

11 August 2026

Yesterday, we were literally shaken by a powerful earthquake in Colombia. Only a few weeks ago, there was a major earthquake in Venezuela. It reminds us that we live in a region where the ground beneath our feet can literally move.

But at the same time, here in Curaçao we are dealing with other shocks: man-made shocks. The wave of burglaries and other forms of crime has now reached a point where it needs to be documented.

A few days ago, specialized equipment was stolen from the fire department. The police subsequently announced yet another major operation against crime, under the message: enough is enough. It almost seems as if the criminal world took this as a challenge. Within 24 hours, at least three major break-ins followed.

This raises questions. Some of these burglaries appear to have the characteristics of inside jobs. There is also suspicion that equipment stolen from the fire department may have been used in some of the break-ins. Whether this is actually the case remains to be established by investigation.

This development did not come out of nowhere. In the period leading up to it, we had already seen an increase in car thefts, among other things to obtain spare parts. And there appears to be a new trend: setting cars on fire.

Here too, there seem to be different motives. In some cases, it may be revenge against the owner. In others, a connection is being made with protests against tourism that has spiraled out of control. Again, we should be careful about drawing conclusions before the facts have been established.

Comparing Colombia and Curaçao is like comparing apples and oranges. An earthquake is a natural phenomenon. Crime and social unrest are man-made.

But do not underestimate the similarity in their impact. Both can leave people feeling unsafe. Both can undermine the confidence that tomorrow will be more or less like today.

After an earthquake, experts investigate what happened, where the epicenter was, and how extensive the damage is. Perhaps we should do the same with our social shocks.

Where is the epicenter?

I don't think we have an answer to that yet.

Miguel Goede