Vision Curaçao

Vision Curaçao

June 9, 2026

Today I heard a call from the Prime Minister inviting citizens to participate in the visioning process for Curaçao. Through various channels, people would be able to contribute their ideas about what they would like Curaçao to look like in, for example, 2050.

I have written about this before. The essence of my criticism is that there appears to have been little consideration of the many previous attempts to develop a national vision. Curaçao already has a long history of vision documents, future studies, and strategic plans. Anyone developing a new vision without first understanding why earlier visions were not implemented runs the risk of repeating the same mistakes.

Almost immediately, the media published a contribution from a former Prime Minister and former Lieutenant Governor who led a visioning process himself during the 1990s. His criticism is that a National Vision 2015–2030 already exists and was never fully implemented, and that there is therefore no need for a new vision.

That criticism is only partly justified. The year 2030 is now approaching rapidly. A society needs a long-term perspective that extends beyond the next election cycle. A vision toward 2050 is therefore not, in itself, a bad idea.

I also saw criticism from a former minister. She pointed out that the current government has approximately two years remaining in office and questioned how a cabinet with such limited time left can establish a vision extending to 2050. This criticism is also only partly justified. A serious long-term vision should stand above day-to-day politics. It should be able to survive successive governments.

And that is precisely where things become complicated.

Can a single-party government develop something that truly rises above politics? Can it formulate a vision that is not its own vision, but the vision of Curaçao?

My greatest skepticism, however, lies elsewhere. Those who do not have a vision themselves can hardly develop one. Anyone looking at the current policy, based on virtually unlimited tourism growth, the continuing degradation of natural areas, and the loss of cultural heritage, sees above all a lack of direction. Developments appear to be driven more by opportunism than by a coherent picture of the future.

Of course, for enough money, you can hire a consultant to write a document. But a vision does not exist on paper. A vision exists in the minds and hearts of people. It lives in their thinking, their convictions, and their actions.

Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of facilitating more than one hundred vision development processes. I could easily write a book about them. The most important lesson is that a vision is not a report. A vision is a shared story about the future that is believed in and embraced by a sufficient number of people.

One might think that the success of the Blue Wave creates the perfect momentum for nation-building and vision development. And that is true. Never before in recent history have so many people simultaneously experienced such a strong sense of national pride. But nation-building requires more than enthusiasm. It requires consistent choices, credible leadership, and policies that demonstrate genuine concern for the country and its future.

Good intentions are not enough. Ultimately, actions are what matter.

And the actions of recent years show that natural areas have been lost, cultural heritage has been squandered, and economic growth has often been considered more important than sustainability and quality of life.

Perhaps Curaçao does indeed need a new vision for 2050.

But even more than that, it needs leaders who are willing to act on it.

Miguel Goede