WILLEMSTAD - Pensioners in Curaçao are expressing growing frustration with the government after learning that their AOV (old-age pension) will not be increased according to the law. The retirees, supported by three labor unions, now plan to seek a new meeting with the Council of Ministers and are considering taking the matter to court.

The latest meeting between the pensioners’ organizations and government representatives ended in disappointment. Minister of Social Development, Labor and Welfare, Charetti America-Francisca (MFK), and Minister of Traffic, Transport and Spatial Planning, Charles Cooper (MFK) were both absent. America-Francisca had to travel urgently to Bonaire, while Cooper was dealing with a family bereavement.

The retirees met with other officials but left dissatisfied. Oswin Martina, chairperson of one of the pensioners’ associations, said the discussion focused only on a small one-time bonus, not the legally mandated indexation that ties pension increases to inflation.

“The government is not acting honestly,” Martina said. “Citizens are required to follow the law and pay taxes, but the government itself refuses to comply with the law regarding AOV indexation.”

Government promises limited increases

Minister Charles Cooper stated that the AOV will not be indexed for now, but that retirees who depend solely on the AOV pension will receive a bonus payment in December. The government also plans to raise the AOV in two phases — first on January 1, 2026, and again on January 1, 2027.

Legal action under consideration

The pensioners’ organizations, backed by three unions, are now consulting on possible legal steps to force the government to comply with the indexation law. They argue that the lack of annual adjustment has caused years of loss in purchasing power for elderly citizens.

The confrontation highlights a growing social and political divide over how Curaçao’s government is handling the country’s aging population and the sustainability of its social welfare system.