THE HAGUE - Sint Maarten is currently not receiving financial support from the Netherlands because the island has complained to the United Nations about alleged racism by the Dutch government. Dutch Undersecretary for Kingdom Relations Raymond Knops announced this today. The conditions that Sint Maarten must meet in exchange for support return colonial rule, that is the complaint. It concerns an amount of more than 18 million euros that Sint Maarten will not receive. The island has long been at odds with the Netherlands about corona support, and the related reforms.

The establishment of an organization that has to implement the cutbacks and reforms, the COHO, kicks Sint Maarten against the sore leg. The establishment of the Caribbean Agency for Reform and Development would mean that the island would have to give up too much autonomy. Since 2010, Sint Maarten has been an autonomous country within the kingdom. The COHO must also deal with the support packages for Aruba and Curaçao.

The Council of State (RvS) was also critical of the COHO, because the powers of the entity go too far. Reforms in exchange for support are logical to the Council of State, but it is still too unclear in advance what autonomy the islands must give up and what conditions they must meet.

Knops has taken note of St. Maarten's complaint with great surprise, he writes on Friday, because the country previously agreed to the establishment of the COHO and the proposed reforms. As long as Sint Maarten is not clear about this, there will be no payment, says Knops. Earlier, he called the charges of racism nonsense. “There is no racist motive. We do not affect the autonomy of Sint Maarten.”

Aruba will receive more than 100 million euros in support, Knops said on Friday. Curaçao does not need financial support for the time being. The Netherlands will continue to provide humanitarian aid such as food to the countries, if necessary. In return for that help the countries do not need to reform.