WILLEMSTAD – In a dramatic turn of events, the Pisas Cabinet swiftly removed the chains from Pòst 5. Yet, just a week later, its own Minister of Finance revealed a grim outlook regarding activities at the refinery site—no crude oil, no license to trade with Venezuela, and no clear timeline for Oryx to begin blending, a process that was previously denied to Curaçao’s own Curoil. Faced with these contradictions, MANPIN is questioning whether a functioning government still exists or if each minister is operating independently.
A Maze of Confusion
The public wants to understand what the so-called reopening of Pòst 5 really means. Minister Pisas responded with a flood of words, ultimately admitting that he had denied Curoil the opportunity to conduct blending at the refinery. Yet now, he is asking Oryx to begin blending in a few years—without setting any deadlines or demanding investments in Emmastad in the meantime.
Pisas also made it clear that, despite his party's 2021 promise to reopen the refinery as an environmentally friendly operation, four years later, he has failed to present even a basic environmental law to make that possible.
To make matters worse, it has now come to light that the Minister of Finance, serving under the same Pisas government, is so concerned about the refinery’s future that he has officially stated that there may never be any productive activity on the site again. According to the local newspaper Antilliaans Dagblad, this is a key finding in the Ministry of Finance’s latest risk analysis.
Who Are We Fooling?
Given these revelations, MANPIN is questioning why no warnings were issued about the risks surrounding the refinery while Pisas was making a grand show of removing the chains from Pòst 5. Is there any coordination among the members of the Pisas II government? How many governments are operating within Forti—one under Pisas and another under the Minister of Finance? Is the Minister of Finance being transparent with his projections, and are his fellow ministers aware of the implications?
Demand for Clarity
MANPIN believes someone in Forti must come forward and provide answers to these pressing questions.
An upcoming election does not exempt the government from its responsibility to govern properly. Transparency regarding the people's assets is a fundamental requirement of good governance, and the community deserves to know the truth.