September 22, 2026
We are not second-class citizens!!!
People of Aruba: Today I share with you one of the most difficult moments of my life. I have been sentenced to two years in prison. I respect the decision of the court, but I cannot accept it. A legal decision is one thing, but whether that decision is fair and correct is a very different matter.
And today I want to speak to you about justice. But also about dignity, equality, and Aruba’s right to decide its own future.
During the last few years, we have seen several Aruban politicians investigated and convicted for corruption.
But I want to ask a question: How many Prime Ministers or Ministers of the Dutch National Government have been convicted for corruption during the last twenty, thirty, forty, or fifty years?
I haven’t found a single conviction… not one! Does this mean that there is no corruption in the Netherlands? That over the decades no minister committed an irregularity? That corruption only exists in the Caribbean islands?
I am not accusing anyone without proof. But nor will I refrain from asking questions about the differences between our justice systems.
Because there is a phrase that today resonates stronger than ever: “We must do what they do, and not what they tell us to do.”
In the Netherlands, to prosecute a minister for a certain offense committed in the execution of their office, there must be a decision by the Government or Parliament.
That is stipulated in their own Constitution!
But here in Aruba, we were told that we have a different procedure.
Our judges are appointed by royal decree. Our judicial system is part of a shared structure within the Kingdom. And our verdicts can reach all the way to the Supreme Court of the Netherlands.
So my question is: Why do they have a special constitutional procedure and we do not?
Why are there different guarantees for a minister who is part of the same Kingdom?
And why can’t we discuss these differences without our commitment to justice being immediately questioned? I am not asking for impunity, but I do demand equality. I am not saying a politician should be above the law. But I am saying that no citizen should be below the law.
Because there cannot be first-class citizens and second-class citizens.
There cannot be first-class countries and second-class countries.
Justice cannot have two categories of citizens within the same Kingdom!
And that is why I repeat: “We must do what they do, and not what they tell us to do.”
If constitutional guarantees are important for Dutch ministers, we also have the right to demand effective guarantees for the ministers and citizens of Aruba.
And I want to make one thing absolutely clear. I am not against the Netherlands. I am not against the Dutch people. I am not against our shared history.
I recognize everything we have built together. I recognize what the Netherlands has contributed to Aruba.
But I also demand that the Netherlands recognize what Aruba has contributed! Our work. Our culture. Our economy. Our identity.
Aruba is not simply a country that receives. Aruba also contributes! And that is why I have always defended the need to strengthen our autonomy.
Because autonomy is not just about having a flag, an anthem, a Parliament, or a Government. True autonomy consists of having the power to decide our own future.
We cannot speak of equality if the fundamental decisions affecting our people are made without our effective participation.
We cannot speak of autonomy if we do not have full capacity to decide on our own affairs.
And we cannot speak of mutual respect if our concerns are not heard.
I do not want Aruba to be above the Netherlands. But nor do I accept Aruba being considered less than the Netherlands.
That has been my conviction for decades. And that conviction does not change because of a judicial sentence.
Today they have convicted me for actions related to my duties as a minister. For the decisions I made seeking housing, job, and development opportunities for our own people. The courts have interpreted certain actions of my administration as offenses.
I respect the decision, but I do not share it.
I have dedicated my public life to serving our people. To knowing their needs. To finding solutions for those who needed a home, a job, or an opportunity.
Not because I was corrupt. Not because I stole. Not because I benefited myself. Not because I engaged in illicit trafficking.
And I believe there are arguments and elements of my defense that must be examined anew.
I am not here to ask for a privilege. I am here to defend my right to justice. Because a conviction can take away my freedom, but it cannot take away my right to defend myself. It can limit my political participation, but it cannot erase the decades I spent serving my country, Aruba.
They can sentence me, but they cannot force me to renounce my convictions. I will appeal this sentence. I will continue my defense through all corresponding legal means. And I will face this process with my head held high, with dignity, and with faith in God.
I do not know what the final decision of the courts will be.
But I know for certain that I will continue to defend my rights and the principles I have always believed in.
Because respecting the law does not mean giving up the right to question it. Because defending our autonomy does not mean being against the Netherlands. And because demanding equality does not mean asking for privileges.
We do not want to be above anyone. But nor do I accept that we are considered less than anyone.
Aruba deserves respect. Aruba deserves equality. And Aruba deserves to have a voice in the decisions that affect its future.
That was my conviction… That is still my conviction. And no sentence will change it.
May God bless our people! May God bless our families! And may God bless Aruba always! 🇦🇼