WILLEMSTAD – Curaçao’s system for combating money laundering and terrorist financing has been rated only moderately effective in several key areas, according to the Fourth Round Mutual Evaluation Report published by the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF).
The evaluation, adopted in May 2025, concludes that while Curaçao has made progress in understanding its money-laundering risks, serious gaps remain in enforcement, supervision, and implementation. The overall national money-laundering risk is assessed as medium-high, driven largely by drug trafficking, fraud, tax evasion, illegal gambling, and misuse of legal entities.
According to the report, Curaçao demonstrates strong policy-level coordination and has a solid legal framework on paper. However, operational capacity lags behind ambition. Staffing shortages within the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), police, and prosecution services have limited the number of investigations and prosecutions, despite a high volume of suspicious transaction reports.
The CFATF warns that unless Curaçao strengthens enforcement and allocates more resources to key institutions, its AML system risks falling short of international expectations.