Dear Editor,

Over the past few weeks, many people have been defending former Minister Richinel Brug by saying one thing: "He was working hard for the people." The truth is, he was. Nobody can take that away from him. However, working hard is not what led to his removal.

The issue was never about his work ethic or his performance. The issue is why his own party no longer had confidence in him.

To understand that, we have to stop focusing on how hard he worked and start looking at the decision that raised concerns in the first place.

One of the main concerns raised was the awarding of a government contract to Minister Brug's campaign manager under the ministry he led.

What made the situation even more controversial was that the minister's Chief of Staff is the wife of that same campaign manager.

Think about that for a moment. The minister's campaign manager received a government contract from the ministry under the minister's responsibility.

Whether the contract was legally awarded is not the point being made here.

The point is that such a situation naturally raises questions about judgment, transparency, and the appearance of favouritism. Most ordinary citizens would likely ask the same question:

If someone without political connections had applied for the same opportunity, would they have received the same consideration? That is why this issue became controversial.

That is why questions were raised. And that is why his own party eventually decided that it no longer had confidence in him.

What makes this situation even more interesting is that while all of this was happening on the Dutch side, a similar debate was taking place on the French side of the island.

President Louis Mussington has been the subject of publicly reported allegations and concerns regarding conflict of interest in hiring practices. As reported by The People’s Tribune, these concerns include the hiring of five individuals described as being within President Mussington’s close circle between 2022 and 2024. Opposition members on the French side raised these concerns and brought them to the attention of the relevant authorities.

Whether those allegations are ultimately proven is for the appropriate authorities to determine.

But there is a clear difference in how the opposition responded on each side of the island.

On the French side, opposition members focused on accountability and demanded answers.

On the Dutch side, many opposition politicians focused almost entirely on defending Minister Brug by pointing to how hard he was working.

But hard work cannot be the only standard by which we judge our leaders.

A minister can work hard and still make decisions that deserve scrutiny.

A minister can deliver results and still be expected to avoid situations that create doubts about fairness and transparency. That is the real issue. No one is saying Minister Brug did not work hard. He did.

The question is whether public officials should be held accountable when decisions create the appearance that political connections may have influenced government opportunities.

The people of St. Maarten deserve leaders who are hard-working. But they also deserve leaders who avoid situations that raise questions about favouritism, conflicts of interest, and public trust.

Because in the end, accountability is not about how hard someone works.

It is about whether the public can trust that decisions are being made fairly and in the best interest of the people.

That is the conversation we should be having.

Alfred Bryan

Dear Editor,

As a believer and born again Christian, who have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour, Lord, and King,

I have discovered that greatness and purpose is not achieved as being received as a wrapped gift in a box. It is not achieved by your consistent religious attendance to every event only.

It does not automatically materialise itself by your much praying, declaring, and prophetic words received only. It is not bestowed upon you, based on your much love and kindness shared with others only.

Neither does it manifest itself because of having the perfect connections, or the much seeds sown only.

Greatness and purpose will be birthed out of your humility in service, but it will come to maturity out of your hard work, your much dedication, your passion, your discipline, your resilience, your vision, your endurance, your consistence, your family persistence, never giving up, being properly prepared at all times, with constant pursuit to achieved success and completeness.

Always getting back up when knocked down, never being discouraged when everyone else feels as if you are not able to achieve it, keeping your eyes focused on your destination and destiny, are all traits that will allow you to break into your season of blessings.

Remember that it births in your spirit and is daily processed in your mind and thoughts. Always remember that it will not automatically manifest itself, but only unless it is provoked by faith with works and action.

And so I pray that the Lord by way of His Spirit be with you at all times, as you have already begun your journey of purpose and destiny in Jesus Mighty Name Amen-

Achken Roberto Richardson.

Dear Editor,

The radio cuts to a special bulletin. The meteorological service is giving an update and before the weather man even finishes the sentence, your mother is already counting tins in the pantry. Canned tuna. Milk. Crackers. Your sibling is filling every pot and bucket in the house with water. Grandma is checking the kerosene lamp and the charge on the solar lights, and Daddy is on the verandah looking at the sky the way grandpa taught him. Without anyone saying it out loud, the whole house understands a storm is coming.

There was a time when a strong hurricane was a story told for years. Hurricane Gilbert, 1988, was that kind of storm. It was terrifying as it tore through the Caribbean with a force that left damage, extensive loss and significant mental scars; but, it was also, somehow, singular.

Since 2016 devastating hurricanes have become standard in the region:

*Matthew in 2016, which was a Category 5 at peak and hit Haiti as a Category 4 with 150 mph winds, the strongest storm the country had seen in over half a century, killing more than 500 people, flattening 90% of crops, and leaving over 120,000 families without homes.

*Maria in 2017 a Category 5 that wiped out 226% Dominica’s GDP, setting development back by decades in the span of hours.

*Dorian in 2019, another Category 5 which ominously lay in wait over The Bahamas until Marsh Harbour was gone and families were still searching for each other weeks later.

*Beryl in July 2024, a Hurricane that made history by being the earliest Category 5 ever recorded in the Atlantic at peak which arrived before the hurricane season had even properly introduced itself, stripped Carriacou down to its bones as a Category 4, levelled fields in Jamaica, and left the Caribbean wondering what we were supposed to do next.

*Then Melissa in 2025, yet another Category 5 Hurricane, just fifteen months after Beryl, became the strongest Atlantic storm ever recorded, with 185 mph winds, 95 lives claimed, and a name now retired because some things cannot simply be recycled.

So what changed? Because it wasn't us. In fact, the Caribbean contributes less than 0.1% of global greenhouse gas emissions. While the world has collectively benefited from the energy systems built over the past two centuries, it is the continued, unabated over-reliance on fossil fuels, and reluctance to switch to renewable energy, that is driving the climate crisis in which we now live. Though the Caribbean did not make that choice, we are the ones filling the buckets, rebuilding the roofs and burying the dead in the wake of these climate disasters.

Here is what is actually happening, hurricanes feed on warm ocean water. Decades of carbon pollution have trapped heat in the atmosphere, and our oceans have been absorbing it. The Caribbean Sea is now warmer than it should be, and every storm that passes over it finds more fuel than the one before. According to Climate Central's Rapid Attribution, Hurricane Melissa's winds were strengthened by climate change, and the ocean temperatures that powered her were made hundreds of times more likely because of human activity.

To expound, when Hurricane Maria hit Dominica in 2017, Prime Minister Skerrit posted from inside the storm, his roof gone, water rising, writing in real time as the Nature Island of the Caribbean came apart. When Dorian sat over The Bahamas for two days, entire communities on Abaco and Grand Bahama were simply erased. Similarly, when Beryl tore through Carriacou, 90% of structures were damaged or destroyed including homes, schools and fishing boats that feed families. When Melissa made landfall, Haiti's outer rainbands triggered deadly landslides, Cuba evacuated 735,000 people overnight, and Jamaica’s western end was flattened and crops were underwater for the second time in under two years. Additionally, across the region the hospitals, food systems, and the roads we have built and rebuilt for decades absorbed yet another blow.

Caribbean people, and other communities on the front lines of climate chane,have shown more resilience and grace under devastation than most of the world will ever be asked to show. But resilience is not justice. You cannot rebuild a flattened hospital with resilience alone, nor can you tell a region to keep bouncing back while the conditions destroying it go unaddressed. At some point, praising our strength becomes a way of avoiding the conversation about who is responsible for the burden we keep bearing.

That conversation is called climate justice, calling for the wealthiest nations to honour the climate finance commitments as a debt owed, not charity given. Thankfully, the ground beneath this conversation is shifting, in May 2026 the United Nations General Assembly voted to endorse the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion on climate change, which was co-sponsored by Caribbean States including Barbados and Jamaica. This opinion clarifies that States have binding obligations under international law to protect the climate system, and that breaching those obligations carries legal consequences such as liability and reparations.

Honouring these commitments looks like loss and damage funding that reaches small island states as grants, not loans. It looks like the Caribbean having a real seat at every global table where climate decisions are made. It also looks like countries meaningfully and strategically committing to, and delivering on, their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), the national climate action plans under the Paris Agreement. Moreover, as citizens, we must be resolute in advocacy and using our voices to demand justice for the region. On top of educating ourselves on the impact of hurricanes and climate change, we must ask our political leaders how they are holding the international community accountable and support the organisations fighting for climate justice every day.

So, yes, the Caribbean is paying for a climate crisis we did not create, but our experience is not a cautionary tale for the rest of the world. It is evidence, and the most powerful thing we can do is refuse to be quiet.

Kayla Wright

Dear Editor,

The people of Curaçao belong to the smallest nation by population ever to qualify with a home-grown team for the grand stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. There is no doubt that this achievement is of such magnitude that very few accomplishments in our history can compare to it.

For us, being placed in a group alongside Germany, Ecuador, and Ivory Coast should be regarded as a moment that will remain forever etched in our collective memory. Curaçao has already made history, regardless of how far the team ultimately advances in the tournament.

That fact alone should be enough reason for every major company in Curaçao to step forward in one way or another and show our people that something truly extraordinary has been achieved. The rest of the world should know that we recognise the historic significance of this accomplishment and that we are immensely proud of it.

At the same time, I cannot help but note that I had expected and hoped that the Government of Curaçao, under the leadership of Prime Minister Gilmar Pisas, would have seized this opportunity immediately after November 18, 2025, by declaring a national holiday.

Such a day could have brought us together through a meaningful national programme focused on awareness, gratitude, hope, and inspiration. It could have served as a celebration of what has been achieved while encouraging future ambitions and commitments for generations to come.

Months have passed, and what I consider to have been an absolute necessity has not happened. Today, we are only sixteen days away from Curaçao's opening clash against Germany. I

had also expected Curaçao Airport Partners and other organisations to take the lead in creating something truly exceptional at our airport. Imagine the airport transformed into the colours of our national flag – blue, yellow, and white – possibly combined with images of the players who have made this historic achievement possible. Such displays would remind every arriving and departing traveller that Curaçao is experiencing one of the proudest moments in its history.

The Curaçao Tourist Board also has an important role to play. In my view, it possesses the international connections and strategic reach necessary to promote the Blue Wave spirit around the world, whether through airlines, cruise ships, tourism campaigns, or other platforms that capture the attention of visitors and travellers.

Key institutions in the financial sector should also be visible participants. Insurance companies such as Guardian Group/Fatum, Ennia, and others, along with commercial banks including MCB, Banco di Caribe, RBC, and Orco Bank, all have an opportunity to contribute to this national moment.

The same applies to companies such as Curoil and RAC.

Businesses in the food and hospitality sectors should not be left out either. Companies like KFC, McDonald's, Subway, Burger King, major supermarket chains such as Mangusa, Goisco, and Centrum Supermarkets, as well as the island's hotels, can all help showcase Curaçao's pride and unity.

Beyond the corporate world, there are countless opportunities within our neighbourhoods and communities to present Curaçao to the world as a proud, joyful, and hopeful nation looking toward a brighter future. I often ask myself whether there will be another event in the coming years that could carry greater historical significance and impact for Curaçao than participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

I sincerely wish our national team – the entire group that has brought us this far – the very best results during and after the tournament. Everyone should contribute in some way to ensuring that our island shines during this almost unique moment in our history.

It is, without question, a responsibility that rests on all of our shoulders to present Curaçao to the world in the best possible light. No one knows when an opportunity like this will come again.

Erwin Refaela

Journalist and commentator