WILLEMSTAD, ORANJESTAD – The governments of Curaçao and Aruba have issued remarkably sharp condemnations of the Dutch role in refinancing their COVID-19 loans. Both islands feel “discriminated against” because they are being charged a higher interest rate than Sint Maarten.
In a letter to the Parliament, the Pisas cabinet accuses The Hague of various actions, including “divide and rule, coercion, stubbornness, arbitrariness, imposition, abuse of power, blunt retaliation, blacklisting, bad faith, and improper governance.” Prime Minister Wever-Croes, in a press conference, referred to an “unjustified unequal treatment” and stated that the Netherlands is not assisting Aruba but is instead seeking to “earn 300 million guilders” from her country. Moreover, she claimed that Dutch officials and parliamentarians are deliberately spreading false information about Aruba.
The viewpoints of the governments in Willemstad and Oranjestad sharply contrast with that of State Secretary for Kingdom Relations Van Huffelen. In response to the accusations, she describes them as “intense” but unjust. She emphasizes that Curaçao and Aruba have chosen to reject the Dutch conditions for a low-interest rate. Once these countries meet the requirements (a solid solution for ENNIA for Curaçao and agreeing to a Kingdom Act on financial supervision for Aruba), they will become eligible for a favorable interest rate.
