Political History - A
summary
In our present
status Aruba forms part of the Royal Dutch Kingdom. Almost 500 years ago, to be exact, in
1499, Aruba was discovered by
Alonso de Ojeda and was considered "Spanish" territory.
During the Spanish/French/English expansion waves, Aruba became Spanish, French and
English for the time these privateers/pirates used Aruba as a safehaven as well as a
bunker for fresh water and supplies.
After New York was
claimed by the English and the Antilles were given to Peter Stuyvesant in return for New
York, Aruba became, with the 5 other islands making up the Dutch Antilles, the colony
known at that time as Curaçao. It was not until 1954 that Aruba together with the 5 other
islands, Bonaire, Curaçao, St. Maarten, St. Eustatius and Saba, were granted
self-government by the Dutch.
As Aruba's
economy was boosted by the establishment of the Standard
Oil Company of New Jersey (Exxon), the cry for independence (read "Status Aparte") became more and more vivid. During
this period the political parties A.V.P. (Arubaanse Volks Partij), U.N.A.
(Union Nacionalista Arubano) governed the island. Subsequently the P.P.A.
(Partido Patriotico Arubano) founded by Mr. Juancho Irausquin, a previous A.V.P. member,
governed the island for almost two decades and was considered to be the founder of the New
Economic Order of Aruba. After the passing away of the P.P.A. founder/leader, who was also
seen as the trendsetter of modern Aruban politics, an internal struggle for power, coupled
with the reentry of A.V.P. to the political arena, made them a less powerful party .
Soon enough, a
young ambitious schoolmaster/politician from the A.V.P. became the leader of a new
political party - M.E.P. (Movimiento Electoral di Pueblo). This ambitious young politician
emerged as the driving force for the next generation towards the realization of our new
"Status Aparte" in the Dutch Kingdom. This was achieved in 1985 and made
official as of 1st January 1986. Mr. Gilberto François
Croes (better known as "Betico Croes") became the
modern "liberator" of the Aruban cause, namely to become an independent partner
within the Royal Dutch Kingdom.
Today, Aruba can look back and be thankful that
60 years ago the A.V.P. started off a cause that allows our island, through substantial
economic reforms of the P.P.A. and the very persistant struggle of the M.E.P., to be
proudly recognized as a highly successful, well-developed and tourism-oriented island
economy within the Royal Dutch Kingdom.
Political Parties in Aruba
Currently, Aruba has seven political parties.
These are listed below.
- A.V.P. (Arubaanse Volks Partij)
- M.E.P. (Movimiento Electoral di Pueblo)
- OLA (Organisacion
Liberal Arubano)
- P.P.A. (Partido Patriotico Arubano)
- C.L.A. (Conscientisacion pa
Liberacion di Aruba)
- A.D.N. (Accion Democratico Nacional)
- PARA (Partido pa un Aruba
Restructura Awor)
- M.A.S. (Movimiento Aruba Solidario)
