During the public meeting of March 19, 2026, in the presence of united labor unions, I emphasized the need for us to let our voices be heard in a firm defense of the dignity of our country.
I stressed that the time has come to turn beautiful words into concrete action: Aruba must reject the Rijkswet HOFA to protect the autonomy that our ancestors fought for. I emphasized and underlined that I was against CHE, COHO, RAFT, and now I am against HOFA.
This position is based on the reality that Aruba has already demonstrated its capacity and political will to manage its own finances and is currently complying with standards anchored in our local laws, which are functioning effectively.
The Responsibility of the Current Generation
We are in a year where Aruba celebrates 50 years of our Anthem and Flag and 40 years of our Status Aparte, and therefore I made an appeal to the conscience of my fellow parliamentarians. I urged them not to let us be the generation that gives away what our ancestors fought so hard for, because Aruba’s freedom was not a gift, but the result of the courage of men and women who believed in our ability to govern ourselves.
Financial Reality vs. Strategy of Fear
In this statement, I also want to add that I categorically reject the use of fear to force us into signing this Rijkswet. Stable financial figures and a strongly recovering economy are living proof that Aruba does not need to surrender its budgetary authority—the heart of our democracy—to a body that is not accountable to the people of Aruba.
At the same time, I referred to constitutional experts such as Elzinga and Hoogers, who have already raised the alarm that HOFA is not a temporary “check-up,” but a real danger of a permanent shift in authority, as has already happened in our sister islands Curaçao and Sint Maarten.
An Appeal to the Coalition
At the end of my speech, I made an appeal to my colleagues in the coalition, representing the largest party, to take responsibility and take a clear position. It is incomprehensible that such a large party cannot form an opinion on such an important issue.
To conclude, I want to say what I did not have time to say in Parliament. I wish for us to stand together and give Aruba the greatest gift in this celebratory year: the confirmation that we are a dignified, capable, and free people.
“We do not need this Rijkswet to be financially responsible. We are responsible because we love our country. Aruba does not need chains, because we can do it ourselves!”