Says MEP Parliamentary Leader Evelyn Wever-Croes
During a press conference, MEP parliamentary leader Evelyn Wever-Croes highlighted that the Financial Team established under the Wever-Croes Cabinet continues to function effectively and responsibly.
She emphasized that on several occasions the Netherlands attempted to take control over Aruba’s financial autonomy.
“CHE, COHO, RAFT — all of these were Dutch proposals aimed at undermining Aruba’s financial autonomy through a Kingdom law and transferring authority to the Netherlands,” Wever-Croes stated.
She explained that through intense negotiations, high-level strategies, and by demonstrating responsible financial management, Aruba succeeded in keeping negotiations at the table without surrendering its autonomy.
“Aruba does not need to give up its financial autonomy in order to manage its finances responsibly. Aruba needs a law with modern criteria and conditions, but one that also respects our Status Aparte,” she stressed.
According to Wever-Croes, Aruba has proven to the Kingdom and the international community that it has recovered — and continues to recover and strengthen — thanks to a solid financial foundation and the opportunities provided by Status Aparte and Aruba’s autonomous state institutions.
For this reason, she said, many people cannot understand why the current AVP–Futuro government accepted the Kingdom law HOFA without negotiation. She described the law as being contrary to Aruba’s Constitution and harmful to the island’s economic development.
“After we, from the opposition, rejected this law and demonstrated with evidence the damage it would cause Aruba, the government now says it will renegotiate with the Netherlands — after having already approved it on August 28, 2025,” she said.
She compared the government’s actions to “a ship without a captain, without a navigation plan, without sails, and without an anchor.”
Wever-Croes accused the government of attempting to trade Aruba’s autonomy in exchange for a financial fund that the Netherlands had already refused.
“The Netherlands has made it clear: the debt must be repaid — period.”
She reaffirmed that MEP has no objection to repaying Aruba’s debts, noting that the strong financial foundation left behind by the Wever-Croes administration, under the leadership of Finance Minister Xiomara Maduro and her team, continues to provide stability and financial surpluses.
This stability, she said, allows Aruba to repay debts from previous governments and the COVID-19 period without sacrificing the valuable state rights guaranteed by Status Aparte.
For this reason, Wever-Croes congratulated the people of Aruba on the positive financial results of 2025 and the strong projections for 2026 and beyond.
“The stable foundation we established will continue to generate results, allowing us to share prosperity together,” she concluded.
“Congratulations to our teachers, congratulations to our seniors, congratulations Aruba!”
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