WILLEMSTAD – Opposition party MAN-PIN is calling on the Curaçao government to take stronger action against littering and illegal dumping, warning that trash has become a structural problem across the island with serious consequences for public health, the environment and tourism.
In a sharply worded statement, the party said residents can see the problem everywhere on Curaçao: plastic bags caught in fences, fast-food packaging along roadsides, beer bottles, and garbage scattered around minimarkets and snack bars.
According to MAN-PIN, the island already has laws in place to address the issue, but the government is failing to enforce them properly.
“The frustrating part is that the legal framework already exists,” the party stated. “But instead of enforcing the law, the government appears more interested in repeatedly spending large amounts of money cleaning roadsides.”
MAN-PIN referred to the Public Order Ordinance, which requires businesses selling goods along or near public roads to keep the surrounding area free of litter and packaging waste. The party argued that minimarkets, supermarkets, snack bars and restaurants are legally responsible for maintaining cleanliness around their establishments.
The party also pointed to regulations requiring private garbage collection operators to obtain permits from the Ministry of Health, Environment and Nature (GMN), claiming those rules are frequently ignored without government intervention.
According to MAN-PIN, responsibility for enforcement is spread across several ministries, including GMN, the Ministry of Economic Development (MEO) and the Ministry of Traffic, Transport and Urban Planning (VVRP). The party accused the government of lacking the political will to strengthen enforcement mechanisms and ensure existing laws are applied consistently.
The statement further criticized the delayed implementation of Curaçao’s approved plastic legislation, arguing that the measure has remained inactive because it originated from the opposition.
MAN-PIN warned that littering and waste pollution threaten public health by contributing to pests and flooding, while also damaging coral reefs, marine ecosystems and Curaçao’s tourism-based economy.
The party argued that the issue reflects a broader governance problem.
“If we have laws but fail to enforce them, we normalize filth and disorder,” the statement said.
MAN-PIN concluded by demanding immediate government action to address the island’s growing waste problem.