WILLEMSTAD – MFK party president Ramón Yung has stepped in to address growing tensions between former Minister of Finance Javier Silvania and current Finance Minister Charles Cooper following a public dispute over statements made on social media regarding Curaçao’s online gaming sector.
After an internal meeting with MFK members, Yung announced that he had spoken with both Silvania and Cooper in an effort to restore unity within the ruling party.
According to Yung, the discussions focused on the different positions expressed publicly by the two MFK politicians. He said Silvania indicated that the party should work with clearer internal agreements, or “werkafspraken,” to prevent further disagreements from escalating publicly.
Silvania, who currently serves as an MFK member of Parliament after previously serving as Minister of Finance, confirmed on July 29, 2026 that he will not leave MFK and has no intention of joining another political movement.
The dispute emerged after Cooper announced that the government would investigate financial arrangements within the online gaming sector, including questions surrounding an annual payment of ANG 8.3 million to a company linked to an individual identified as M. Galeo. Cooper questioned the justification for the payment and said the government wanted clarity about the services provided, the selection process and the management of gaming-related information.
Silvania responded by defending the reforms implemented during his time as finance minister, arguing that the new gaming legislation created a modern regulatory framework and that payments made by the Curaçao Gaming Authority (CGA) were separate from government revenues.
The former minister accused Cooper of making statements based on incorrect information and warned that public criticism without complete facts could damage confidence in Curaçao’s gaming industry.
The disagreement has created an unusual situation within MFK, with a sitting minister and a prominent member of Parliament from the same party publicly challenging each other’s positions. Silvania has repeatedly emphasized his loyalty to MFK and his intention to remain within the party.
Yung’s intervention comes as MFK seeks to maintain internal cohesion while continuing to govern with a majority in the Curaçao Parliament. The party has previously highlighted the importance of unity among its members.
The MFK president did not announce specific disciplinary measures but indicated that internal communication and coordination between party members must improve to avoid future conflicts from playing out publicly.