Ombudsman Curaçao: "Failure to receive corona support is fatal for us"

An agreement for financial support to the Caribbean islands has not yet been reached. Meanwhile, citizens in Curaçao are languishing in poverty. Ombudsman Keursly Concincion gives a glimpse.

WILLEMSTAD - Admittedly, says ombudsman Keursly Concincion. The situation in Curaçao was not rosy before the corona crisis. But for about six months the circumstances have been downright dire. Sixty percent of the population is out of work, the majority depends on food packages and, among other things, lack of tourism shrinks the economy by 25 percent. And there is still no agreement with the Kingdom government on financial support to get the country back on track.

Concincion looks at it with sorrow. “If the support is not forthcoming, it will be fatal for Curaçao. Not only the tourism on which we depend so much, but also the oil industry has come to a standstill. No support means a big problem for our island.” It made him, right after the Curaçao people became angry and took to the streets demonstrating, together with the other national ombudsmen, Rogier van Zutphen from the Netherlands and Gwendolien Mossel from Sint Maarten, send a letter to the Dutch government urging more understanding for the dire situation in which the Caribbean islands within the kingdom find themselves.

Humanitarian aid from the Netherlands

The Dutch government has promised and offered humanitarian aid in recent months. Until the end of the year, vulnerable citizens on the islands are provided with food aid. But the Netherlands imposes strict requirements on further financial support. For example, Curaçao must reduce the wage costs of civil servants by about 12.5 percent, Aruba and Sint Maarten are expected to maximize top salaries, the education system must be overhauled, and there should be more cuts in public order and safety, airports are being refurbished and the countries must also be open about all their public finances. That and more in just four months.

But certain conditions for that liquidity support will only further aggravate the suffering on the islands, the ombudsmen write. Especially the vulnerable citizens who are now without a job or who are just getting by, he says. "That cannot have been the intention of the Kingdom government. The effects of this measure increase social and economic inequality within the kingdom and do not benefit the democracy of the countries in the Caribbean part of the kingdom."

Garbage collectors and teachers

Concincion points to ordinary citizens, such as garbage collectors and teachers, who will see their pay drop. “Look, we are not politicians. The only thing we can do as ombudsmen is send a signal.” And the signal that he and his colleagues want to send to the Dutch government is: be realistic and have an eye for those vulnerable on the various islands.

“I learned from the media that the islands only had three to four days to respond to the proposals from the Netherlands. You do not treat each other like that. Not in times of crisis. Governments must be given the freedom to make well-considered decisions,” said the ombudsman. He tells the Curaçao government: find out where the bottlenecks are to implement reforms, indicate what you have already done to remove them and make clear what the consequences will be if they cannot be removed.

Virus seems under control

The ombudsmen have not yet received a respond to their call. But a Government Council of Ministers is planned for next week where the still outstanding agreement is on the agenda. Even more good news, Concincion hints, is that the virus appears to be under control in Curaçao.

The last two corona patients were from abroad and are already safe. The borders with Sint Maarten and Aruba have been closed again due to the increasing number of infections there. But, says the Ombudsman, a balance must be struck between the interests of public health and the economy. “It is good that citizens remain healthy, but if the borders remain closed, it will be at the expense of the economy. This is a big challenge for our government.”




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