ORANJESTAD (AAN) – Aruba Ombudsman Jurima Bryson explained that complaints against private institutions can sometimes reach the Ombudsman indirectly through complaints filed against government departments.
According to Bryson, the Ombudsman Department handles complaints from everyone, not only Aruba citizens. However, complaints must be directed against institutions defined by law, such as government departments, foundations receiving government funding, or government-owned companies including WEB Aruba NV, Setar NV, NV Elmar, and Serlimar SG.
Bryson clarified that complaints cannot normally be filed directly against fully private institutions, except for organizations dealing with children and youth, as specifically provided under Aruba law.
She explained that there are situations where private institutions are connected to government departments. One example involves private care homes, which are legally required to follow certain regulations. If they fail to comply, complaints can first be submitted to government authorities such as IVA or DVG.
In such cases, individuals cannot directly file complaints against private care homes with the Ombudsman. However, if a person believes that IVA or DVG failed to properly handle the complaint, they can then submit a complaint to the Ombudsman against those government departments.
Bryson stated that through this process, complaints involving private institutions may still reach the Ombudsman indirectly. The government departments involved may then be required to take action or make decisions based on the complaints received.
The Ombudsman emphasized that the office itself does not replace the authority of government institutions but instead supervises whether departments handle complaints properly and fairly.
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