Curaçao sells itself as one of the most beautiful islands in the Caribbean. Our turquoise waters, colorful architecture and sunny climate attract hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. We proudly promote our island to the world and continue to invest in tourism, new hotels and economic growth.
But there is an uncomfortable truth that too many of us have learned to ignore.
Curaçao is dirty.
Drive along many of our main roads, visit empty lots or simply stop at the side of the road almost anywhere on the island. Plastic bottles, beer bottles, aluminum cans, household garbage, construction debris and even old furniture have become part of the landscape. It is embarrassing, and it sends exactly the wrong message to both residents and visitors.
What makes the situation even more frustrating is that there are people who are trying to make a difference.
One of them is the Kunuku Man.
Week after week, together with volunteers, he cleans roadsides that others have turned into dumping grounds. His latest cleanup on Kaminda George Williams removed an astonishing 299 kilograms of waste in just one operation. Think about that for a moment. Nearly 300 kilograms of trash had simply been left along one stretch of road.
That should alarm every citizen and every policymaker.
Minister Charles Cooper has previously stated that ANG 8 million is available for cleanup efforts. If that money exists, then where is the urgency? Where are the large-scale cleanup campaigns? Where are the government crews? Where is Selikor? The public sees one dedicated citizen repeatedly doing the work that many believe should be part of a coordinated national effort.
This is not a criticism of the hardworking employees who do their jobs every day. It is a question about priorities and leadership.
A clean island cannot depend on volunteers alone.
At the same time, government cannot solve this problem without the public. Every bottle thrown from a car window, every garbage bag dumped in a vacant lot and every can left on the beach was placed there by someone who made a conscious choice. The litter scattered across Curaçao did not appear by itself.
We often ask what kind of island we want to leave for future generations. Perhaps we should begin by asking what kind of island we are leaving for ourselves today.
We want more tourists. We want more hotels. We want more investments. We want the world to see Curaçao as a premier destination.
But what are we giving back?
If the first impression visitors receive is a roadside filled with garbage, then our marketing campaigns lose much of their power. A beautiful island deserves beautiful surroundings.
Kunuku Man should not be fighting this battle alone. His efforts deserve recognition, but even more importantly, they deserve reinforcement. Government, businesses, schools, community organizations and every resident should be part of a national movement to restore pride in our island.
The solution is not complicated. Enforce anti-littering laws. Increase public awareness. Expand recycling. Organize regular cleanup campaigns. Use the available funding. Most importantly, create a culture where throwing garbage into nature becomes socially unacceptable.
Curaçao truly is one of the Caribbean's gems. It is time we started treating it that way.
And until we do, one unofficial hero with a garbage bag will continue reminding us of a responsibility that belongs to all of us.