COPPPAL protests re-colonisation BES

The Permanent Conference of Political Parties of Latin America and the Caribbean COPPPAL rejected by communiqué the possible attempts to re-colonise the so-called Dutch Antilles in violation of the agreement signed at the United Nations (UN) in 1954, and urged the Netherlands to initiate a process of decolonisation and self-determination of the peoples under its control.

“In a meeting led by COPPPAL-president Manolo Pichardo in Bonaire, the islanders expressed their fear of what they define as redeployment actions, such as: financial supervision, judicial influence and the massive entry of European Dutch to the islands with the right to vote, because this could have a decisive impact on matters concerning the natives,” said the document.

Aruban Rudy Croes, vice president and coordinator of COPPPAL’s decolonisation commission, had also been present at the gathering in Kralendijk, where it was exhibited that Statia and Bonaire had rejected the current status of Dutch colonial municipality by referendum.

In the statement, COPPPAL demands to put Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba (BES) on the UN Committee of Decolonisation’s list of Non- Self-Governing-Territories that do not have their own government. It also calls energetically for the autonomy of these islands to be respected and rejects any supervision on Aruba, Curaçao and St. Maarten as well.

COPPPAL says it will accompany the parties of the so-called Dutch islands in their fight against colonial status, and the implementation of a possible re-colonisation scheme by resorting to the mechanisms which the international community places in its hands.

The organisation urged all the islands to initiate an integration process that allows them to push their wishes in one direction, so that the struggle for sovereignty has greater weight and momentum.

The Daily Herald.