Following an incident shared on social media and local news outlets, the Director of the Berthel Foundation in San Nicolas, Ms. Irena Gomes, took the initiative to clarify the situation and explain the context of what happened last week during an activity near the foundation.
Ms. Irena Gomes has dedicated a large part of her life to social care work. After working for several years in the same field in the Netherlands, she returned to Aruba, where she has been performing this work for over 9 years with the same love, passion, and dedication. Her daily work focuses on helping and guiding vulnerable individuals—from asylum seekers to persons requiring continuous social support and guidance—in collaboration with various organizations.
According to Ms. Gomes, the incident took place last week during an activity near the foundation. At that moment, a heated argument and confrontation broke out between two clients of the foundation. As the situation escalated, one of the clients pulled out an object (an iron bottle) and began swinging it toward the other person.
As part of her role in protection and mediation—to prevent the situation from getting out of hand or anyone getting hurt—Ms. Gomes intervened immediately. In her attempt to calm the situation and disarm the client, she managed to take the object away. Her primary goal was to protect both the clients themselves and the people nearby.
Regrettably, a bystander recorded the moment without understanding the full context of the intervention. Instead of seeking clarification or asking what was happening, the video was posted on social media and subsequently circulated by news outlets, triggering panic and misunderstanding within the community.
“I find it very regrettable that things went this way. The person didn’t come down to ask what really happened, but chose instead to send the video to Facebook,” Ms. Gomes expressed with concern.
This dissemination brought serious consequences for the work Ms. Gomes performs for the foundation and for the clients who rely on this care. She emphasizes that her sole intention has always been to help and protect human beings in need.
“I don’t even know how to harm people. I love people and I want to help them,” Ms. Gomes concluded, stressing the importance of clarifying the situation so she can continue providing much-needed support and care to the vulnerable community of San Nicolas.