EA News is closely following the developments surrounding the Kingdom Act HOFA, as well as the ongoing political movements, which show a lack of respect for the people of Aruba. The AVP-FUTURO government refuses to provide clarity or information to the Aruban public regarding why they are taking the position to surrender autonomy in exchange for a few million florins that the Netherlands has offered to loan Aruba at a low interest rate—effectively keeping Aruba under Dutch control forever. What the government of Aruba is doing is viewed by many as nothing more than a show to hide the harm they are committing against the country and to make it seem as though everything is fine. E lack of consensus is very clear, while the government negotiates behind closed doors with the Netherlands over the small amount of money HOFA offers, and what benefits are being negotiated around the mystery of the refinery lands. All of this is breeding distrust in this government.
Normally, in a healthy democracy, a leader serves the people, makes decisions, and fights for the well-being of the population. Unfortunately, the government’s attitude reflects the exact opposite. Particularly under the management of the Minister of Economic Development, Geoffrey Wever, things seem to be heading in a direction that the people do not want. The sentiment within the community daily shows disapproval of the AVP-FUTURO government, where citizens feel defrauded and their voices trampled upon, while the government appears determined, showing no respect for the people, taking crucial decisions that trample on democracy without considering that there is no consensus to proceed with the HOFA law. Behind closed doors, they are betraying the people of Aruba. After the leader of the AVP party gave a categorical “NO” to HOFA during the campaign, today they bow down to the FUTURO party, just to remain in power.
The most critical point is the continuous approach and negotiation with the Netherlands to achieve the HOFA law (Aruba Financial Supervision) with all the conditions that are not in Aruba’s favor. The community of Aruba, through various channels and in a very clear manner, has signaled a “NO” to these conditions that compromise our autonomy.
Despite this rejection, the ministers led by Geoffrey Wever seem to ignore the voice of the people. The insistence on continuing to negotiate with the Netherlands without a mandate coming from the grassroots is not only a lack of respect for the popular will, but it also raises the question: Who do these ministers really work for? For the well-being of Aruba, or to fulfill an agenda imposed from abroad?
The Mystery of the Refinery Lands: What is the Commitment?
Another topic that leaves the community in doubt and worry is the fate of the refinery lands. This is one of the largest and most valuable resources of land and infrastructure that Aruba possesses. Nevertheless, to this day, there is a total lack of government information:
- What do the legal and economic commitments that the ministry is entering into entail?
- Who are the commercial partners behind these movements?
- Why is there no structural, public, and transparent presentation for the people who voted for these ministers?
Doing business using politics as a shield to make decisions without informing the community is viewed by the public as a direct betrayal of the voter’s trust.
“When a minister compromises the land and the financial future of a country without giving a structural account, they stop being a worthy representative of the people and become a manager of their own interests.”
The people are calling on the government to be heard. Aruba cannot continue to be governed based on unilateral decisions. Decisions without consensus, where the ministers choose to assume an attitude of superiority in which they “know better than the people,” weaken our democratic foundation. E people of Aruba did not vote for Minister Wever, nor for any other minister, to sit and negotiate the future of our beautiful rock (dushi baranca) on loans or in secret. It is time to demand total transparency. It is time to stop these movements that weaken our position and to remind the ministers that real power comes from the people, and to the people alone they must answer.