WILLEMSTAD – Despite assurances that the Zakitó lagoon will remain government property, several crucial decisions determining who will actually control and manage the area have yet to be made.
The issue has emerged from questions surrounding The View Marina development and criticism from Movimentu Save Zakitó, which fears that public control over the lagoon and surrounding coastal areas could gradually be reduced.
Project developer Adam Kiolle says the Country of Curaçao will remain owner and legal rights holder of the water parcels involved in the marina development.
However, ownership and day-to-day control are separate issues.
Under the arrangement described by Kiolle, the government is expected to place rights over the inner waters with a public management organization. That entity — which has not yet been selected — could subsequently grant usage rights to The View Marina B.V.
Exactly what those rights would entail remains unknown.
The conditions governing the marina's use of the lagoon have not been finalized, nor has the government established the definitive rules for vessels entering and leaving through the new drawbridge.
The View Marina will physically operate the bridge, but it remains unclear who will formally supervise that operation and which authority will have the final say when disputes arise over access.
There are also unanswered questions about recreational use of the lagoon. The developer says restrictions could be imposed for safety reasons, such as prohibiting swimming in navigation channels, while it is simultaneously exploring the possibility of establishing a free public swimming area.
Save Zakitó has argued that these matters should be clearly and publicly established before the area's future management structure is finalized.
The developer has provided assurances on several points. According to Kiolle, the existing beach will remain public, Koredor will remain accessible, and the building next to the drawbridge will be used only to operate the bridge rather than to control visitors.
Nevertheless, the central governance questions remain open: which public entity will manage the lagoon, what rights will be granted to The View Marina, how extensive those rights will be, and under what rules the company will operate the drawbridge.
Until those arrangements are formally established, the ultimate division of authority between the Curaçao government, the future public manager and The View Marina remains unresolved.