20 Years Agrarian & Fisheries Reform Call In Curaçao
Curaçao July 12, 2006
Eugène Godfried
Past President of the Agricultural Cooperative of Curaçao
Caribbean specialist/journalist/social-cultural worker/community organizer/author 

 Twenty years ago in the Dutch semi-colony of Curaçao, a group of conscious agrarians united their force to demand a structural and everlasting change in the agricultural, animal husbandry, and fisheries sectors of the island. The quality of life and living conditions for those who were active in these sectors was in very bad shape. Importation of goods that could be produced locally was the order of the day. The government institution responsible for agriculture, animal husbandry and fisheries (L.V.V.) was merely a ‘dead fly’.  

The dominant political system in our country has always supported this unfavorable situation of inequality, which was suffocating and exterminating the existence of farmers and fishermen.

The same dominant political system had no policy to develop agriculture, animal husbandry or fisheries. They did not want to define one either.

On the contrary, they collaborated with the dominant elite, (importers, financial tradesmen, and their mysterious lackeys), to open war against the farmers and people of Curaçao. A real storm in a glass of water!!

Their objective was to maintain the privileges of representatives of Big Capital in our country, who are precisely the ones engaged in corrupting the political system as they please. They neither care about nor are they interested in the social, cultural, economic, educational, and medical well being of the masses. Our people are very much conscious of this reality and know far too well how these sectors operate.

Twenty years later, the situation is even worse. Fishermen, farmers, and the entire people of Curaçao are standing in front of a critical and chaotic situation that is affecting the entire nation. Now, the system also wants to take away the beaches and land from our people for the benefit of Big Commercial and Capital. A true genocide against fishermen and the entire population is taking place on the island.

Once more, we adopt the firm call and position that Father Rudy Lampe, farmers, and our people in the Christ Good Shepherd Roman Catholic Church in the working people’s area of Koral Specht expressed some twenty years ago. In united voice, we demand again:

AGRAIRIAN AND FISHERIES REFORM NOW AND NOT TOMORROW!!!!!!

THE STRUGGLE CONTINUES!!!

Eugène Godfried
Past President of the Agricultural Cooperative of Curaçao
Caribbean specialist/journalist/social-cultural worker/community organizer/author 

20 Aňa Reforma Agrario I Peska
Eugène Godfried
Antiguo Presidente di Koperativa di Agrikultornan di Kòrsou
Espesialista di Karibe/periodista/trahadó social kultural komunitario/outor
Korsou, 12 di yili 2006

Pueblo di Kòrsou ta rekòrdá ku binti aña pasá un grupo di agrikultornan konsiente a uni forsa pa eksigui kambionan struktural i duradero den sektor di agrikultura, krio di bestia i tambe peska. Kalidat di bida i kondishon di trabou pa esnan aktivo den e sektornan aki tabata den sumamente mal estado. Importashon di produktonan ku nos mes por produsí tabata na orden di dia, E servisio di gobièrnu L.V.V. (Agrikultura, Krio di bestia i Peska) tabata un ‘muska morto’.

E sistema politiko dominante den nos pais a sostené e situashon desigual i desfaborabel aki ku tabata sofoká i kaba ku eksistensia di nos plantadónan, kriadó di bestia i tambe piskadónan.

E sistema politiko dominante no tabatin ni kier a stipulá un maneho ni polítika di agrikultura, krio di bestia i peska.

Al kontrario, nan huntu ku e élite dominante ku ta konsistí di importadornan i otro komersiantenan  finansiero huntu akompañá pa nan kompinchinan misterioso a abri guera kontra di agrikultornan i pueblo di Kèrsou. Un bèrdadero orkan den glas di awa!!

Nan meta tabata mantené privilegionan pa representantenan di Gran Kapital aki den nos pais, ku ta esnan ku ta korompí  e sistema politico manera nan kier. No ta importá ni interesá nan estado di bienestar social, kultural, ekonómiko, edukashon ni salú di nos pueblo. Nos pueblo ta masha konsiente di e realidat aki i sa kon e sektornan ei ta operá.

Awe binti aña despues, piskadónan meskos ku plantadónan komo kriadónan di bestia i hinter pueblo di Kòrsou ta pará dilanti mesun situashon di krísis i kaos ku ta asotá nos tur den nos pais. Situashon ta peor mes. Awor ta playanan i nos teranan e sistema politiko kier kita for di nos pa benefisia sektor di Gran Komersio i Kapital. Un berdadero guera i genosidio kontra nos piskadánan i hinter nos pueblo.

Atrobe nos ta retomá yamada i posishon firme ku apróksimadamente binti aña pasá Pastor Rudy Lampe huntu ku agrikultornan i nos pueblo a ekspresá den Iglesia Kristu Bon Wardadó na Koral Specht. Den bos uní i fuerte nos a eksigui:

REFORMA AGRARIO I PESKA AWOR I NO MA ŇAN!!!!!!!
E LUCHA TA SIGUI!!!