The newly presented Programa di Gobernashon 2025–2029 by the third Pisas cabinet arrives with confident ambition and a clear structure. It promises everything from economic diversification to nation-building, poverty reduction, healthcare reform, and even a new national identity post-10-10-10.  

But beneath the visionary tone lies a troubling lack of detail, urgency, and accountability. Is this program truly the start of a social transformation for Curaçao? Or is it a polished wish list, cautiously avoiding the deeper issues? 

A Promising Framework  

Let’s give credit where it’s due. The plan outlines five key priorities: 

• Combating poverty and inequality 

• Attracting and retaining youth to reverse aging demographics 

• Diversifying the economy beyond tourism 

• Making healthcare sustainable 

• Initiating “nation-building” to strengthen Curaçao’s fractured social identity  

These points are well structured and supported by a commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The idea of building a more just, resilient, and inclusive society is consistently present.  

Yet this is precisely where the cracks begin to show. 

Missing the Deeper Diagnoses  

Where is the recognition of systemic inequality? Race, class, and cultural bias remain deeply embedded in our institutions—especially in education, employment, healthcare, and law enforcement. The document avoids these uncomfortable truths.  

The section on nation-building is well-intentioned but eerily top-down. Who leads this process? Where are the artists, historians, grassroots educators, and marginalized voices? What cultural memory are we building, and who decides? 

Economy: Investment Without Protection?  

The economic strategy leans heavily on attracting large foreign investors through public-private partnerships (PPPs) and new incentives. Yet there is no discussion on how local businesses—especially small entrepreneurs and start-ups—will be protected from being sidelined or bought out.  

Curaçao has been burned by PPPs before. Where’s the mechanism to prevent exploitation and elite capture?  

Healthcare and Aging: A Growing Crisis 

Healthcare sustainability is a central theme, but the plan underestimates the growing crisis. Our aging population and overloaded SVB system demand urgent restructuring, not just digitalization and cost-cutting.  

What about retaining nurses and specialists? What about culturally adapted elderly care? The silence is loud. 

 What’s Not in the Plan? 

• No vision for climate adaptation (despite our vulnerability to drought and sea-level rise) 

• No engagement with the Curaçaoan diaspora (a missed opportunity for investment, skills, and global lobbying) 

• No strategy for social integration of migrants and Venezuelan refugees 

• No innovation in democratic participation or transparency reform 

 Final Thought  

This program could be the launchpad for a brighter Curaçao—if civil society, youth, and communities demand more from it.  

Let’s not accept elegant language over action. Let’s ask the tough questions: 

• Where are the measurable targets? 

• Who watches the execution? 

• What happens when promises fall short?  

Vision is not enough. Curaçao deserves substance.