Member of Parliament Xiomara Maduro has raised concerns regarding the HOFA agreement negotiations between the Aruban government and the Netherlands. Maduro alleges that the current administration negotiated in silence and submitted a concept proposal to the Rijksministerraad for approval without first informing Parliament or the public. She described the handling of the issue as a lack of transparency on a matter with significant constitutional and financial impact.
According to Maduro, political pressure has been applied to limit the opposition’s ability to share information with organizations and citizens. She cited an incident where Minister of Finance Geoffrey Wever reportedly requested the removal of MEP representatives from an informational meeting. Maduro also addressed comments made by Dutch State Secretary Van der Burg, arguing that his stance treats Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten equally without recognizing each country’s unique constitutional history.
The parliamentarian questioned whether the HOFA is solely a financial instrument or a major step toward changing constitutional relations within the Kingdom. Maduro called for complete information and open debate, urging citizens not to accept decisions made without full scrutiny regarding the island’s autonomy. Her statements specifically criticized the approach taken by Mike Eman, Minister Gerlien Croes, and Minister Geoffrey Wever.
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