Almost 20 years ago, together with other people, I set up the project ‘Bicycle Paths in Aruba’. It was with this aim that we founded FACABI (Fundacion Arubano Caminda pa Bicicleta). The public works department helped with the technical design of the bicycle paths. The project was promised financial aid from various angles. Even so, I abruptly seized my efforts on behalf of ‘Bicycle Paths in Aruba’ for two reasons.

Because it entailed a high investment, it was considered whether the Netherlands would possibly be willing to help finance the project. The former Dutch representative stated that the project was a relatively cheap project for which Aruba itself could acquire means easily. If the Netherlands would decide to co-finance the bicycle paths project, the Aruban government would be able to continue its mismanagement undisturbed with the balance of the non-financed money in the meantime. The Netherlands did not want to partake in that. The many political appointments, in particular, were a thorn in its eyes. I totally agreed.

During the same period, I had a talk with a high government official, who inquired about the developments towards realizing the bicycle path project. I explained to him how the technical – and financial states were to date. Upon which he asked me “if we were keeping account for money for the minister”? When I asked for further explanation, he stated that “the minister would only place his signature after receiving money.” I was under no circumstances willing to contribute to self-enrichment of a minister. I made him understand that it was about a project that would benefit the entire community and that I myself did not have any financial interest, upon which I got to hear that this would not have much influence in the consideration of placing his signature. For me this meant a stop to me working at the bicycle path project.

At that point my crusade against bad governance began. Among doing other things, fifteen years after Status Aparte, in 2001, I shaped my criticism more by publishing ‘Good governance & the political reality’ (in Dutch!). Analysis of numerous reports from the Social Economic Council, the Central Bank, as well as documents from Central Accounts Service and the Advisory Board, provided affirmation that ministers and Aruban governments were systematically mocking the principles of good governance as it was previously recommended and politically applauded in ‘Rapport Calidad’. This was happening on such a broad scale that there could be no possibility of ‘errors’, more likely of ‘deliberate intent’. The many violations of principles of good governance and the offenses of legal regulations by the government were of no service to the interest of the general public.

In 2011, on the occasion of the celebration of 25 years Status Aparte, I published ‘25 years Status Aparte, a Political Paradise’ (in Dutch!). This book is a denouncement of the way in which politics has been driven for 25 years in Aruba. It describes the connection between political dealings, or actually lack thereof, and the consequences for the community. Both books were meant to contribute to a political awareness process amongst the population. Afterwards I have regularly published articles in local newspapers from July 2014 to April 2015, in which I described the governments’ functioning in more detail. I finally stopped, because I had actually said ‘everything’ already and was falling into a lot of repetition for which the politicians turned a deaf ear and continued on as before. Continuing in this manner was putting too much grist to the mill. It was time for reflection to arrive to another, hopefully more effective approach.

For the 30th anniversary of Status Aparte, together with co-board members Leo Maduro and Servito Thijsen, it was decided to work more effectively towards the realization of good governance. For that purpose we founded the ‘ Aruba Good Governance Foundation’. Goals and methods are indicated in the regulations under ‘Good governance’. We hope that we also may count on you to attain good governance in Aruba. Ultimately the quality of governance is a responsibility of us all.

N.B. The words in bold indicate links to the theme – Click! (However, they are all Dutch/Papiamento…)