PHILIPSBURG:---  The Where Culture Lives project is proud to announce the launch of its survey across Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Statia, and St. Maarten, marking the next crucial phase in understanding how people create and experience cultural life throughout the Dutch Caribbean.
Following successful focus groups with local practitioners and key informants, the research team now invites the wider public to participate in a short but meaningful survey.
Entitled “Your Voice, Where Culture Lives,” the survey explores how arts, culture, and heritage shape life on the ABCSSS islands. By sharing their experiences, residents help show what culture means to them—and guide policymakers and institutions to support it in their communities better.
Participants will be asked about their involvement in cultural activities; accessibility to cultural spaces and funding; and the roles of government and community in preserving and promoting heritage.
Each island’s Island Coordinator will lead a small team of trained surveyors who will be present in key public locations, inviting people to complete the survey and assisting anyone who may need support or a proxy.
The survey is available digitally via a shared link in English, Papiamento, and Papiamentu and takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. Parents are encouraged to complete the survey for themselves and for any children under 12.
“Every song, dance, painting, and tradition keeps our islands’ culture alive. This is a unique opportunity to document, reflect, and influence how cultural life is seen, supported, and celebrated,” said Jorien Wuite. As Project Coordinator and director of Lemonade, I can emphasize that the team is happy that OCW reps. Also visited this week to envision further engagement, ownership, and landing of the research results of the project, Where Culture Lives.
To participate in the survey, follow the official link distributed by the Island coordinators and their team of surveyors, Gregory Richardson (Aruba), Sharifa Balfour (Saba), Paula Pandt-Pompier (Statia), Ashayna Nisbett (Sint Maarten,) and Lara Chirino (Bonaire). The survey will run until the first week of December 2025. The phase following the survey will involve detailed analysis and recommendations.
For further information, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or via WhatsApp, contact the Project principals Jorien Wuite, (721) 5202335, and Elton Villarreal, (599) 95213108.
The Where Culture Lives project was commissioned by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW) in The Hague and on Bonaire (OCW and OCW-CG), as part of a long-term effort to strengthen cultural engagement through shared information. St. Maarten-based consultancy Lemonade B.V manages the project.

~Curaçao Prosecutors Act, While Sint Maarten’s Electoral Oversight Remains Unclear~

Willemstad, Curaçao:---The Public Prosecution Service (OM) in Curaçao has issued formal warnings to 30 political candidates on party election lists after discovering that they may have failed to report campaign donations, as required by law.

The letters stem from information provided by the Electorale Raad (Electoral Council), indicating that the candidates in question had not filed their mandatory declaration of received donations—or a nil-declaration—under Article 12(2) of the Landsverordening Financiering Politieke Groeperingen (LvFPG).

In an official letter dated November 3, the OM stated:

“By failing to do so, you are now suspected of violating Articles 8, 12, 17, and 18 in conjunction with Article 21 of the Landsverordening Financiering Politieke Groeperingen (LvFPG.) Under threat of potential criminal prosecution, you are hereby given the opportunity to fulfil your obligations within one month of service of this letter.”

The issue gained public attention after former Member of Parliament Michelangelo “Low” Martines, currently in detention on suspicion of drug trafficking and money laundering, shared his own warning letter on social media. Martines, number three on the Kòrsou Esun Mihó (KEM) party list for the March 21, 2025, elections, lashed out at prosecutors, calling the enforcement “class justice.”

“What audacity you have to keep so many cases hidden in the drawer and then come bother me,” he wrote, criticizing the OM for allegedly ignoring major corruption cases such as the 1.2 billion-guilder Ennia affair while targeting individual politicians.

The OM’s move underscores a renewed emphasis on transparency and accountability in Curaçao’s political financing — a longstanding weak point in the Dutch Caribbean’s governance landscape.

However, across the Caribbean Sea in Sint Maarten, the situation appears less clear. More than a year after local elections, several candidates have yet to make their legally required campaign finance declarations, and it remains uncertain whether the Electoral Council of Sint Maarten has submitted the names of non-compliant candidates to the Prosecutor’s Office.

The lack of clarity raises questions about whether Sint Maarten authorities intend to follow Curaçao’s example in enforcing the political finance law. As public trust in political integrity remains fragile, observers note that consistent application of accountability measures across the Dutch Caribbean is essential to rebuilding credibility in democratic institutions.

Credits Antiillaans Dagblad. (https://antilliaansdagblad.com/nieuws-menu/curacao/31959-om-waarschuwt-30-verkiezingskandidaten)

PHILIPSBURG:--- November 2025. Kadaster St. Maarten is moving forward with plans to establish a Cables and Lines Information Center (CLIC), a major step toward safer and more coordinated underground infrastructure management on the island.

The initiative follows recent discussions between Kadaster St. Maarten's Director, Benjamin Ortega, and senior representatives of Kadaster Netherlands, including Vincent Siegmund (Director, Operations, Services and Registration), Caroline Groot (Product Manager, KLIC), and Mathilde Molendijk (Program Manager, Caribbean Netherlands).

The meeting served as an introduction between both organisations’ management teams and focused on exchanging expertise on the Dutch KLIC system, which provides a secure national portal for digital information on cables and pipelines. Drawing on the Netherlands’ successful model and guided by international best practices such as the UK’s National Underground Asset Register, Kadaster St. Maarten aims to implement a localised version of CLIC by 2026, in close collaboration with the Ministry of VROMI.

To formalize this cooperation, Kadaster St. Maarten and various relevant stakeholders are finalising a Memorandum of Understanding outlining shared objectives for CLIC’s establishment. The agreement designates Kadaster as the official registry authority for all underground infrastructure and as the custodian of the national Base Infrastructure Ma,p the island’s single source of authoritative spatial data for planning, permitting, and development.

“The CLIC initiative will allow all utility and infrastructure stakeholders to access accurate, up-to-date information before excavation, minimising damage risks and improving coordination across the island,” said Mr. Ortega. “This is an important step toward a more digital, sustainable, and data-driven land administration system for Sint Maarten.”

The upcoming MOU also envisions enhancing data sharing between government departments, utilities, and key partners, paving the way for more integrated spatial planning and climate-resilient infrastructure management.

Further working sessions will continue into 2026 as Kadaster St. Maarten refines the system’s governance model, technical framework, and stakeholder engagement strategy ahead of full implementation.

The Bonaire Human Rights Organization (BHRO) proudly announces its participation in the COPPPAL International Observers Delegation for the New York General Elections of 4th November 2025 hosted by SDA. This landmark event marks a historic moment, as BHRO joined distinguished representatives from across Latin America and the Caribbean to observe one of the most closely watched elections in recent U.S. history.
This is the first time in history that an international delegation has observed a New York General Election, showing the people of Bonaire how important the work of the Bonaire Human Rights Organization is bringing their voice to the global stage, and making international contacts in every field to help the development of Bonaire.
The 2025 New York mayoral race has drawn worldwide attention, featuring three major candidates representing distinct political visions:
Andrew Cuomo, former Governor of New York, running as an Independent - Zohran Mamdani, progressive Democratic candidate and State Assembly member - Curtis Sliwa, representing the Republican Party
The race was described as a defining moment for the city’s political future, testing the balance between traditional power structures and emerging grassroots movements.
Following the official results confirming Zohran Mamdani’s victory, New York has entered a period of political transformation and social reflection. His win—making him the city’s first Muslim and South Asian mayor—has been hailed by many as a triumph for diversity, equity, and progressive reform. However, it has also triggered widespread upheaval and debate across the city’s political, business, and media landscapes.
Several establishment organizations and corporate leaders have voiced concern over Mamdani’s ambitious platform, which includes rent freezes, free public transportation, universal childcare, and expanded social programs. Political analysts describe this as a “political earthquake” that challenges the dominance of traditional power brokers in New York.
Meanwhile, grassroots and minority communities have celebrated the outcome as a victory for inclusion and representation, seeing in Mamdani’s leadership a reflection of America’s growing multicultural identity. Yet, his campaign and victory have also sparked divisive reactions, including Islamophobic and xenophobic rhetoric from far-right groups, and unease among moderate Democrats worried about the city’s economic direction under his leadership.
For the Bonaire Human Rights Organization, this election and its aftermath represent more than a local political shift—it highlights global challenges surrounding equity, representation, and the right to self-determination. As BHRO continues to defend the rights of Bonaire’s people and other small territories, witnessing such democratic transitions reinforces the importance of inclusive governance and respect for human dignity in all societies.
BHRO’s participation as an accredited observer reflects Bonaire’s expanding presence on the international stage, symbolizing solidarity with representative democratic processes and human rights advocacy worldwide.