What was left behind at Playa Parasa is unacceptable.
Bottles, plastic, remnants of fires and other garbage were simply abandoned after people had apparently enjoyed themselves at the beach. They came, used a public space that belongs to all of us, and then walked away expecting someone else to deal with their mess.
And that raises the most important question: whose responsibility is this?
The easy answer is government. Call Selikor. Send a cleaning crew. Put more garbage bins at the beach. Within a few hours, Playa Parasa can probably look presentable again.
But that does not solve the problem.
If the beach is cleaned today and another group leaves bottles, plastic and food containers behind tomorrow, we have accomplished nothing except creating a system in which responsible citizens ultimately pay to clean up after irresponsible ones.
This is not primarily a garbage problem. It is a mentality problem.
A garbage bin cannot create responsibility
Certainly, government has responsibilities. Public beaches need sufficient garbage bins, regular collection, proper maintenance and enforcement. If certain beaches are heavily used, the authorities should ensure that the infrastructure can handle the number of visitors.
But the absence of a garbage bin a few meters away does not suddenly make it acceptable to throw a bottle on the ground.
If you can carry a full bottle, bag of food or package onto the beach, you can carry the empty container away.
That should not require legislation, a government campaign or a police officer standing nearby. It is basic civic responsibility.
The troubling part is that scenes like this reveal a mentality in which public property is treated differently from private property.
Most people would never finish a drink in their own living room and deliberately throw the bottle on the floor. They would not dump a bag of garbage in their own garden and wait for somebody else to remove it.
Why, then, is it acceptable when the location belongs to everyone?
Perhaps consequences are necessary
Education must remain part of the solution, particularly among children and young people. Respect for the environment and public spaces should be taught at home and reinforced at school.
But education alone is unlikely to be enough.
Curaçao should seriously consider stronger enforcement at locations where illegal dumping and littering repeatedly occur. That could include higher fines, targeted controls and, where practical and legally permissible, cameras at problem locations.
And perhaps we should go further.
When authorities can establish who was responsible for leaving a significant amount of garbage behind, why should taxpayers pay for the cleanup?
Make those responsible pay.
A fine is one thing. Paying the actual cost of cleaning the area sends an additional message: your irresponsible behavior has consequences, and the community will not automatically pick up the bill.
Our beaches are part of Curaçao
There is another reason this matters.
Our coastline is part of what makes Curaçao extraordinary. Beaches are places where families gather, children play, residents relax and visitors experience the island.
We constantly speak about tourism, sustainable development and protecting Curaçao's natural environment. Those ambitions mean very little if we cannot manage something as basic as taking our garbage with us when we leave a beach.
Government cannot place an inspector behind every tree. Selikor cannot follow every person carrying a beer bottle. And no number of cameras will substitute for personal responsibility.
Yes, government must provide the facilities.
Yes, authorities should enforce the rules.
Yes, repeat offenders should face meaningful consequences.
But ultimately, keeping Curaçao clean cannot be outsourced to government.
Playa Parasa belongs to all of us. So do our other beaches, roadsides, parks and public spaces.
The people who left this garbage behind should be ashamed of themselves.
The solution begins with a very simple principle: whatever you bring with you, take it back with you.
A clean Curaçao is not only the government's responsibility.
It is ours.