What Now?

What Now?

16 December 2025

Dark clouds are gathering over the island—literally and figuratively. The political game seems, for the moment, beyond our control. Aircraft crisscross our airspace, sometimes without transponders. Commercial pilots report near collisions. Experts tell me that, in practice, the situation is under control—fighter jets do not fly blind. Perhaps so. Still, the sense of uncertainty remains.

For now, it is mostly a matter of waiting in the tense and watching to see what will unfold. In that sense, this period resembles the pandemic: it affects society as a whole, and as an individual, there is little one can do but look on. Yet here, too, there are lessons to be learned.

We are small. And we are vulnerable. Our economy rests almost entirely on tourism and is therefore extremely fragile. We are clearly in a period of transition, moving toward a new era marked by a shifting world order. The dominance of the United States on the American continent is not new in itself—it reaches back to the Monroe Doctrine of 1823—but its consequences now feel uncomfortably close.

This moment forces us to sharpen our own vision. As a society, we must become more resilient. That begins with recognizing that economic diversification is not a luxury, but a necessity. Once again, it becomes clear how much we depend on our alliance with the Netherlands. At the same time, that relationship calls for a mature, reciprocal approach.

We will have to work with what we have. With our people. Including the diaspora. If we are to endure, we must make better use of that potential. This does not automatically mean training more academics, but rather investing in more skilled workers—more citizens who carry the country.

We must move toward less inequality by creating more opportunities: better preventive healthcare, stronger education, and a higher quality of life. And we must move away from our obsession with foreign direct investment. Not because foreign investment does not matter, but because our future cannot come only from outside. It must also be built by social and local entrepreneurs who are rooted here.

If this crisis compels us to make those choices, then it will not have been wasted.

Miguel Goede