WILLEMSTAD – Longstanding frustration over Curaçao’s management of government-owned land returned to Parliament this week, with lawmakers questioning Minister of Traffic, Transport and Urban Planning Charles Cooper about delays at Domeinbeheer and the apparent inability of residents to obtain timely answers to land applications.
The Central Committee meeting on September 21 was specifically convened to discuss the handling of applications at Domeinbeheer (Domain Management), Parliament’s official agenda confirms.
The debate reflected growing public frustration over applicants who say they follow the required procedures but can wait for long periods without receiving a decision or even clear information about the status of their requests.
PNP Member of Parliament Sheldry Osepa was particularly critical. He argued that Curaçao residents can spend years trying to obtain government land through official channels while, at the same time, people occupy government property without authorization and establish homes or other structures.
Osepa pointed specifically to an area around Bonam and Ronde Klip, where he claimed Haitian immigrants had occupied government land and developed what has become known locally as “Little Haiti.”
The PNP parliamentarian used particularly strong language during the meeting, accusing those involved of having “stolen our land.”
Osepa questioned why Curaçao residents are expected to follow formal procedures while unauthorized occupation of government property can continue without sufficiently rapid enforcement.
His remarks concerning Haitians, however, triggered objections from MFK parliamentarians.
MFK Member of Parliament Rigoletto Thode challenged Osepa’s focus on Haitian immigrants, arguing that unauthorized occupation of land is not limited to foreigners and that Curaçaoans also occupy land without permission.
The exchange shifted part of the debate from the administrative failures at Domeinbeheer to the sensitive issue of nationality and unauthorized land occupation.
Problems at Domeinbeheer Are Not New
The broader concerns surrounding Domeinbeheer have been documented for years.
During the same parliamentary discussion, MFK parliamentarian Gilbert “Gibi” Doran reportedly cited figures from the Ombudsman showing that between 2020 and 2024, 351 cases involving the Ministry of Traffic, Transport and Urban Planning were investigated, of which 128 concerned Domeinbeheer.
Doran described the situation as a longstanding source of concern and said that despite years of criticism, meaningful improvement has yet to become visible.
The figures reinforce the central issue raised during the meeting: the controversy is not simply about who receives government land, but also about whether Curaçao has an administrative system capable of processing applications transparently, consistently and within reasonable periods.
The parliamentary meeting did not produce immediate answers to all of the questions raised.
Cooper told Parliament that he needed three weeks to prepare concrete responses to the outstanding questions from lawmakers. The meeting was subsequently suspended until further notice.
The discussion leaves the government facing two related challenges: improving the functioning of Domeinbeheer for residents who submit legitimate applications and addressing unauthorized occupation of government property through rules that are applied consistently, regardless of the nationality or background of those involved.
The debate also demonstrated the political sensitivity surrounding the issue. While Osepa focused attention on foreign nationals occupying government land, Thode argued that the problem should not be framed around Haitians when unauthorized occupation also involves Curaçao residents.
What remains unanswered is how many applications are currently pending at Domeinbeheer, how long applicants typically wait, how much government land is being occupied without authorization and what concrete measures the Cooper ministry intends to take to resolve both problems.
Cooper is expected to provide Parliament with more detailed answers when the Central Committee resumes its deliberations.