At a decisive moment for our country’s constitutional and financial future, a direct call is being made to State Secretary Eric van der Burg. The message is clear: Aruba is past the need for “cosmetic” visits or the imposition of projects that are not part of what the people asked for. What is demanded at this moment is absolute clarity regarding the policy that the Netherlands is implementing, and more importantly, the immediate publication of the actual document that served as the basis for the current Rijkswet (Kingdom Act) HOFA.
The fundamental difference: Bestuurlijk Akkoord vs. Rijkswet For a long time, public discussion remained focused on the Bestuurlijk Akkoord (Administrative Agreement). However, a critical legal and political distinction must be made: a Bestuurlijk Akkoord is not a Rijkswet. The administrative agreement was merely a starting point, an initial phase that lost its legal value and relevance after May 1, 2025. The focus must now shift to the real and definitive document that emerged after those negotiations and crystallized into the Rijkswet that the AVP-Futuro government supports today and signed. The people have the right to know the “fine print” of the agreement that binds our country for years to come.
Failures and lack of transparency in governance The current situation raises serious questions about the AVP-Futuro government’s negotiating capacity to defend the autonomy of the Country of Aruba. The current cabinet’s inability to put the real document on the table illustrates a lack of direction and a lack of respect for the integrity of the people of Aruba. What exactly was negotiated in the final document? Parliament, the people, and the unions that have repeatedly voiced their rejection of the forced direction of the HOFA have the right to know the real content. The governance of a country is not a game of chance, and the AVP-Futuro government’s confidence in hiding the documentation they signed is an offense to our democracy.
Trias Politica and the “dictatorship line” We are observing concerning movements where commercial interests occupy political seats, crossing the line of the Trias Politica. Politics and commerce are two powers that must remain strictly separate to avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest or, in extreme cases, a drift toward dictatorship. It is necessary to ask: what is the name of this practice where the lines are becoming so blurred? Hysteria is repeating; what was really behind the comma?
Call to State Secretary Van der Burg In the coming days, the State Secretary will visit Aruba. Aruba is not in need of nice words or “cosmetics.” We do not desire the twisting of history or the presentation of projects that the people NEVER asked for. Aruba has spoken clearly: No to the HOFA as it currently stands. Does Aruba want financial supervision? YES, and much more financial supervision if necessary. When will the Netherlands start respecting the will of the people of Aruba, instead of supporting the decisions of a small group in the AVP-Futuro cabinet? The people did not give a mandate for this type of governance. Transparency is not an option; it is an obligation. Aruba demands the final document on the table. The time for “cosmetic” games is over; now it is time for the truth.