There are certain subjects that Curaçao Chronicle will never stop writing about, and one of them is the cleanliness of our island.
Every time we see a group of volunteers collecting bags of garbage from roadsides, beaches, and vacant lots, we publish their efforts with pride. We do so because these individuals are giving something back to Curaçao. They are sacrificing their time, energy, and often their own resources to clean up a mess that should not exist in the first place.
But let us be honest: Curaçao has a serious problem.
Our island is dirty. Very dirty.
Anyone who doubts this should take a drive from the Parasasa roundabout to Playa Knip. This route takes visitors through some of the most beautiful landscapes our island has to offer. Yet along much of that road, the scenery is spoiled by discarded bottles, plastic bags, cans, construction debris, old appliances, and countless other forms of litter.
Take another drive along the Santa Rosaweg toward Fuik. The story is much the same. What should be a pleasant journey through our neighborhoods has become an embarrassing display of neglect.
And this is not just an aesthetic problem. It is a reflection of who we are as a society.
The sad reality is that visitors notice it immediately. We proudly tell tourists that Curaçao is one of the most beautiful islands in the Caribbean. We show them our beaches, our culture, our colorful architecture, and our hospitality. Yet many of them also see roadsides littered with garbage and illegal dumping sites that seem to have been ignored for months, if not years.
The question is simple: What happened?
Because those of us who have lived here for decades remember a different Curaçao.
We remember an island that was cleaner. An island where people took more pride in their surroundings. An island where throwing garbage out of a car window would have been considered shameful.
Some will point to the financial problems facing Selikor. It is no secret that the government owes money to the waste management company. Budget constraints are real. Equipment is expensive. Personnel costs money.
But at some point we have to stop hiding behind excuses.
Even if Selikor had every truck it needed and every dollar it requested, that alone would not solve the problem.
The deeper issue is cultural.
Somewhere along the way, too many people stopped caring.
How else can we explain someone finishing a drink and throwing the bottle onto the roadside? How else can we explain household waste being dumped in empty lots? How else can we explain beaches left covered in trash after a weekend gathering?
Government has a responsibility. Selikor has a responsibility. Enforcement agencies have a responsibility.
But citizens have a responsibility too.
We often hear people complain that government is not doing enough. That may be true. Yet government did not throw every bottle, can, plastic bag, mattress, refrigerator, and old tire onto our roadsides.
People did.
That is why private initiatives such as Kunuku Man deserve enormous praise. Week after week, volunteers collect hundreds of kilograms of waste that should never have been there in the first place. CuraDoet and other community organizations also contribute valuable work throughout the year.
But let us be honest again: volunteer efforts alone cannot solve a problem of this magnitude.
What is needed is a change in mentality.
We need parents teaching children that littering is unacceptable. We need schools emphasizing civic responsibility. We need communities taking ownership of their neighborhoods. We need businesses maintaining the areas around their properties. And yes, we need stronger enforcement against those who continue to dump garbage illegally.
Most importantly, we need to rediscover our pride.
Because this island belongs to all of us.
If we truly love Curaçao, we cannot continue treating it like a landfill.
The beauty of Curaçao is one of our greatest treasures. It attracts tourists, supports our economy, and enriches our quality of life. Yet every piece of garbage left on the roadside sends the opposite message: that we no longer care.
We refuse to believe that is who we are.
Curaçao deserves better.
The tourists deserve better.
Future generations deserve better.
And the time to act is now.