~Curaçao Prosecutors Act, While Sint Maarten’s Electoral Oversight Remains Unclear~
Willemstad, Curaçao:---The Public Prosecution Service (OM) in Curaçao has issued formal warnings to 30 political candidates on party election lists after discovering that they may have failed to report campaign donations, as required by law.
The letters stem from information provided by the Electorale Raad (Electoral Council), indicating that the candidates in question had not filed their mandatory declaration of received donations—or a nil-declaration—under Article 12(2) of the Landsverordening Financiering Politieke Groeperingen (LvFPG).
In an official letter dated November 3, the OM stated:
“By failing to do so, you are now suspected of violating Articles 8, 12, 17, and 18 in conjunction with Article 21 of the Landsverordening Financiering Politieke Groeperingen (LvFPG.) Under threat of potential criminal prosecution, you are hereby given the opportunity to fulfil your obligations within one month of service of this letter.”
The issue gained public attention after former Member of Parliament Michelangelo “Low” Martines, currently in detention on suspicion of drug trafficking and money laundering, shared his own warning letter on social media. Martines, number three on the Kòrsou Esun Mihó (KEM) party list for the March 21, 2025, elections, lashed out at prosecutors, calling the enforcement “class justice.”
“What audacity you have to keep so many cases hidden in the drawer and then come bother me,” he wrote, criticizing the OM for allegedly ignoring major corruption cases such as the 1.2 billion-guilder Ennia affair while targeting individual politicians.
The OM’s move underscores a renewed emphasis on transparency and accountability in Curaçao’s political financing — a longstanding weak point in the Dutch Caribbean’s governance landscape.
However, across the Caribbean Sea in Sint Maarten, the situation appears less clear. More than a year after local elections, several candidates have yet to make their legally required campaign finance declarations, and it remains uncertain whether the Electoral Council of Sint Maarten has submitted the names of non-compliant candidates to the Prosecutor’s Office.
The lack of clarity raises questions about whether Sint Maarten authorities intend to follow Curaçao’s example in enforcing the political finance law. As public trust in political integrity remains fragile, observers note that consistent application of accountability measures across the Dutch Caribbean is essential to rebuilding credibility in democratic institutions.
Credits Antiillaans Dagblad. (https://antilliaansdagblad.com/nieuws-menu/curacao/31959-om-waarschuwt-30-verkiezingskandidaten)