WILLEMSTAD – Curaçao will commemorate Autonomy Day this year with a two-day program on October 9 and 10, featuring an autonomy summit, a solemn session of Parliament and a national concert.
This year’s celebration will be held under the theme “Karibe uní den ekselensia,” or “Caribbean United in Excellence.”
The program begins on Thursday, October 9, with the “Kumbre di Dia di Outonomia,” an Autonomy Day summit. A cultural visit, networking lunch and formal dinner are also scheduled for that day.
The main commemorations will take place on Friday, October 10, Dia di Outonomia. Activities include a solemn meeting of the Curaçao Parliament, the official Autonomy Day ceremony and a national concert.
The announcement was made by the Culture and Sports sector of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports. Members of Parliament were asked to reserve both October 9 and 10 for the activities.
Details about the participants in the autonomy summit, the locations of the different events and the exact schedule have not yet been announced. According to the ministry, an official invitation and detailed program will follow.
Curaçao commemorates Dia di Outonomia annually on October 10, marking the constitutional changes of October 10, 2010.
On that date, the Netherlands Antilles ceased to exist and Curaçao became an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Aruba already held autonomous country status, while Sint Maarten also became an autonomous country on 10-10-10. Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba became public entities of the Netherlands.
This year’s program places particular emphasis on regional cooperation through its “Caribbean United in Excellence” theme, with the planned autonomy summit forming a central part of the two-day commemoration.