The Plenary Meeting of the Permanent Conference of Political Parties of Latin America and the Caribbean (COPPPAL) has unanimously elected James Finies as the new President of the COPPPAL Decolonization Committee.
COPPPAL brings together 80 political parties from 30 countries and is headquartered in Mexico City, the capital of Mexico.
In recognition of Finies’ international and global advocacy regarding Bonaire and other Caribbean territories administered by the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the 43rd Plenary Meeting of COPPPAL appointed James Finies to chair the Decolonization Committee.
The committee’s mandate is to promote dialogue and international attention on decolonization issues related to Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba, as well as matters concerning Puerto Rico and the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas).
During its recent plenary session at the former Senate building in Mexico, COPPPAL reaffirmed its fundamental position against colonialism in all its forms. The organization encourages ongoing discussion of these issues within the United Nations and other international forums and expressed its support for continued international engagement regarding Bonaire and other non-self-governing territories. COPPPAL also reiterated its solidarity with Puerto Rico and reaffirmed Argentina’s position regarding the Falkland Islands.
As part of the plenary program, James Finies addressed delegates from Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, Europe, and Asia regarding contemporary decolonization issues. In his presentation, he emphasized concerns regarding the protection of Bonaire’s cultural identity, the implementation of international legal norms, and the importance of ensuring that island-related matters continue to receive appropriate international attention through established multilateral mechanisms.
James Finies drew special attention to the increasing marginalization of the people of Bonaire through institutionally directed laws and policies that have resulted in significant demographic changes in recent years. Finies noted his concern that the proportion of the island’s natives and long-established local Bonerian population has systematically and consistently declined to a minority percentage of the total population, raising important questions about the continued erasure of cultural heritage, identity, language, and Bonaire’s meaningful participation in public affairs. James Finies emphasized that these developments warrant continuous dialogue and consideration within the framework of applicable international norms and the United Nations decolonization process.