In a passionate address to the Standing Conference of Political Parties of Latin America and the Caribbean (COPPPAL), former Prime Minister of Aruba, Evelyn Wever-Croes, has called for urgent international support to protect Aruba’s hard-won autonomy.
Wever-Croes highlighted Aruba’s historical struggle for independence, which was achieved 45 years ago under the leadership of her uncle, Betico Croes. She emphasized that this autonomy was not a gift, but the result of persistent political struggle and solidarity from Latin American and Caribbean partners.
However, Wever-Croes warned that this autonomy is once again under threat. While the UN Charter promotes self-governance for former colonies—a principle which inspired the 1954 Statute of the Kingdom of the Netherlands—the reality has fallen short of these ideals.
Despite Aruba’s success in economic management, including a significant reduction of public debt and the achievement of four consecutive years of budgetary surplus, the Netherlands continues to impose stringent financial conditions on the island. Wever-Croes pointed out that Aruba currently faces a 6.9% interest rate on pandemic-related loans, more than double that of Curacao and St. Maarten.
More concerning, she noted, is that the Netherlands has conditioned any reduction of this interest rate on Aruba surrendering its financial sovereignty to Dutch oversight, a move that would effectively roll back decades of progress toward self-governance.
“Aruba has demonstrated that it can responsibly manage its finances; why should it surrender control?” Wever-Croes asked, characterizing the Dutch pressure as political rather than financial.
Concluding her speech, she urged the COPPPAL and other international bodies, including the UN and the Organization of American States, to support Aruba in its fight. “Aruba does not ask for privileges; Aruba demands respect for international law, the spirit of the Kingdom’s statute, and the right of our people to decide their own future,” she declared.