WILLEMSTAD – Former Minister of Finance Javier Silvania has stated that his resignation was a conscious decision aimed at preventing a split within the governing party Movementu Futuro Korsou (MFK). Silvania made the remarks this week during an interview on the television program Mòru Bondia, where he reflected on the circumstances surrounding his departure from office.
According to Silvania, opinions within the MFK parliamentary faction about his performance as minister were deeply divided. At the same time, the opposition was preparing a motion of no confidence, which would have forced MFK members to vote publicly and take sides. Silvania said this scenario posed a serious risk to party unity.
“If I have to sacrifice myself for the greater goal, namely preserving unity within the party, then I am willing to do so,” Silvania said during the interview.
His resignation followed the leak of an audio recording involving a heated confrontation with Landsontvanger Alfonso Trona. The recording sparked public and political debate and intensified pressure on Silvania’s position. He acknowledged that, as minister, he should have exercised greater restraint. “I should not have allowed myself to be provoked. I fell into the trap,” he said, while adding that not everyone within the party considered his conduct unacceptable. Nevertheless, he said he understands the criticism that was directed at him.
Silvania officially stepped down on October 15 and immediately took up his seat in the Curaçao Parliament. As MFK’s list leader and top vote-getter in the elections, with more than 18,000 personal votes, he was entitled to that position. However, following his return to Parliament, Silvania largely disappeared from public debate for several months.
He described that period as a “long vacation,” during which he deliberately distanced himself from politics. According to Silvania, this break allowed him to step back and reflect, without engaging in political discussions or public commentary.
During the interview, Silvania declined to address any additional or underlying reasons for his resignation beyond those already known. He said that chapter has been closed and emphasized that his focus is now on the present and the future. In that context, he spoke of a “healing process” within MFK, stressing that old conflicts should not be reopened.
Silvania also rejected speculation about forming a new political movement. He made it clear that he does not intend to become an independent member of Parliament or to start his own party. “I will not become an independent MP and I am not launching a new party,” he said, adding that his loyalty remains with MFK, which he said still has a responsibility to deliver on the promises made to voters.