WILLEMSTAD – The developers behind the proposed Hipódromo Internacional de Curaçao Almirante Brion (HICAB) are urging Parliament to intervene urgently, claiming the project has been blocked for nearly two decades by governmental stagnation and administrative delays.
In a letter addressed to Member of Parliament Gilbert Doran, HICAB stated that the project continues to stall despite receiving more than twenty permits, agreements, approvals, and commitments from successive governments over the years.
According to the organization, the project came close to final approval in 2022 under then Finance Minister Javier Silvania.
HICAB says fiscal incentive measures were being prepared at the time and that legislation regulating horse racing was ready to be submitted to Parliament.
However, the situation reportedly changed in 2023 when the proposed horse racing regulations were no longer handled separately but instead incorporated into broader gambling legislation.
According to HICAB, that decision effectively brought the entire project to a standstill.
The organization claims that since then, it has had no meaningful communication with the government despite submitting several formal requests for clarification and progress.
In the letter, HICAB warns of serious financial and legal consequences resulting from the prolonged delays.
The developers say they have already invested substantial amounts of money into the project and entered into obligations with third parties based on earlier government commitments.
According to the organization, the lack of government decisions has created major financial risks and uncertainty.
HICAB is now demanding four concrete actions from Parliament.
The organization is calling for an urgent parliamentary meeting about the project, a formal written statement from the government explaining the current status of the initiative, a maximum two-month deadline for approval of horse racing regulations, and the issuance of a gaming license that HICAB says had previously been promised by the government.
The proposed horse racing complex has long been presented by supporters as a potential tourism, entertainment, and economic development project for Curaçao.
However, the initiative has repeatedly faced political, regulatory, and legal obstacles over the years.