WILLEMSTAD - What does democracy entail? What does a rule of law entail? Democracy means that the people govern themselves. We do not live under a dictatorship, tyranny, or despotic regime. We live in a democracy, governed by laws that ensure fairness and justice. Living in a democracy means that the people’s representatives ultimately have the final say. In a state governed by the rule of law, respect for legal principles is paramount.
What happened during Monday’s parliamentary meeting was nothing short of a farce—a mockery of this esteemed body and a blatant disregard for our rule of law. Finance Minister Javier Silvania’s actions crossed all boundaries of accountability and legality. Not only did he fail to provide the advice and documentation related to his decisions, which the PAR faction had requested over a year and a half ago, but he also neglected to submit them entirely. Instead, Mr. Silvania presented a handful of irrelevant documents to the clerk’s office for review.
This blatant disregard for Parliament’s request, along with his submission of unrelated and late documents, demonstrates his total lack of respect for the legislative body. He has no regard for his obligation to provide essential information to Parliament. On top of that, his condescending attitude throughout the meeting only deepened the insult.
Rather than answering questions as any responsible official should—because, after all, he is an employee of the people of Curaçao—Mr. Silvania chose to lecture the parliamentarians arrogantly, as if they were incapable of understanding the issue at hand.
He suggested that the matter was too complex for us to grasp. Really? The issue is straightforward: without any legal basis (read: illegally), Mr. Silvania forgave 3 billion guilders in tax debts. Nothing more, nothing less. This is evident to everyone except the minister himself. Why does Mr. Silvania believe he knows better than the advisory body, the Social Economic Council (SER)? Or that he has more wisdom in his little finger than a judge in their entirety? The rulings are clear: this was a tax debt write-off.
If Mr. Silvania truly believes he is more knowledgeable than the people's representatives—and therefore, the people of Curaçao—then why is it so obvious to everyone else that what he did was illegal? Why did he need so many words to explain the inexplicable?
It’s simple: if Mr. Silvania had a legal basis for his Facebook post, which had far-reaching consequences for the country, he wouldn’t be searching for one now. Parliament called him to account, and he blatantly ignored that call. It’s evident that Mr. Silvania is not in charge here. We, the people of Curaçao, are. Everyone must follow the law. Or do we now live in "Silvalandia"?