WILLEMSTAD – PNP Member of Parliament Ruisandro Cijntje is urging the Curaçao government to develop a comprehensive three-to-five-year national strategy aimed at transforming the international recognition generated by the Blue Wave national football team into sustainable investment, employment, entrepreneurship, and economic diversification.
In a statement released on November 8, Cijntje argued that the historic achievements of Curaçao's footballers have created an international opportunity that the country cannot afford to waste.
According to the parliamentarian, the team's success has attracted considerable attention to Curaçao, including interest from Brazil, the United States, Colombia, and several European countries.
He believes this increased visibility should serve as the foundation for a broader economic development strategy that extends beyond traditional tourism promotion.
Cijntje emphasized that attracting additional tourists remains important, but Curaçao should also use its international exposure to attract foreign investors, entrepreneurs, and companies interested in establishing commercial activities on the island.
He wants Curaçao to promote itself not only as a vacation destination but also as a country where international businesses can invest, produce, innovate, and develop new commercial opportunities.
The parliamentarian identified tourism, technology, sports, agroindustry, and professional services as sectors where additional investment could contribute to economic diversification and sustainable job creation.
However, he stressed that achieving these objectives requires an active government strategy rather than simply relying on the publicity generated by the football team's accomplishments.
Cijntje is calling for a national development plan covering the next three to five years, with concrete objectives for attracting investment, creating employment, supporting local businesses, developing sporting talent, and strengthening the economy.
He believes such a plan should include a clearly defined budget, assigned responsibilities, an implementation timetable, and measurable performance indicators.
These elements, according to the parliamentarian, would allow Curaçao Parliament and the public to monitor whether the government is successfully converting international recognition into lasting economic progress.
Cijntje also wants local small and medium-sized enterprises to play a central role in the proposed strategy.
He warned that Curaçao should avoid a situation in which the financial benefits of increased international attention are concentrated among a small group of established companies.
Instead, he believes the government should create opportunities for neighborhood entrepreneurs, young people seeking employment, and families facing financial difficulties.
The parliamentarian also highlighted the importance of investing in youth development and sporting infrastructure.
He argued that the achievements of Blue Wave have demonstrated to young people that determination, preparation, and talent can allow a small country to compete on the world's largest sporting stage.
However, he believes political leaders now have a responsibility to create the conditions that will allow those same young people to pursue their ambitions within Curaçao.
This would require additional attention to professional training, entrepreneurship, sporting facilities, and employment opportunities.
Cijntje wants the national team's achievement to become more than a memorable chapter in Curaçao's sporting history.
He expressed concern that, without a coordinated development strategy, the country could look back five years from now and remember Blue Wave 2026 primarily as a moment of national pride rather than as the beginning of broader economic transformation.
The parliamentarian believes the footballers have already fulfilled their responsibility by bringing Curaçao unprecedented international attention.
He argues that the responsibility now rests with the government to use the opportunities created by that achievement.
For Cijntje, the lasting legacy of Blue Wave should ultimately be measured not only by how many people around the world became familiar with Curaçao, but also by whether the country's own residents gained access to better jobs, stronger businesses, and improved living conditions.
His proposal challenges the government to move from celebrating sporting achievements to establishing a measurable national strategy capable of converting international recognition into long-term economic and social development.