Curaçao 2.0 is Broken: What Now?
September 17, 2024
In 2013, I said Curaçao was stuck in a system that could no longer function properly. Now, in 2024, it is clear—I was 100% correct. Curaçao 2.0 is wholly broken. Let me explain.
You can think of Curaçao as a complex adaptive system comprising interconnected subsystems. A complex adaptive system (CAS) is one where the connected components can adapt and learn from previous experiences. Some of Curaçao's subsystems include the government, law enforcement, roads, ports, utilities, ICT, financial sector, waste management, education, and so on. For proper development, all these subsystems would need to function at a high level—let us call it Curaçao 5.0. But we all know what happens when the electricity goes out or the internet goes down. The chain is only as strong as its weakest link.
Even in 2013, our financial sector was not running at 5.0. In fact, it was part of the reason Curaçao stayed stuck at 2.0. It is almost impossible to sustain progress whenever one subsystem tries to improve because the other systems are still stuck at 2.0 or worse. And when one system fails, all Curaçao shuts down. That moment felt close back then, and now we are living it.
Experts call these types of significant failures X-events. People involved in these subsystems must understand that we are all part of the same system: Curaçao 5.0. But here is the hard truth—we are stuck in Curaçao 2.0, and it is beyond saving.
The government was bankrupt by 2012 (AD, Saturday, September 22, 2012).
The government had to change but did not.
Rumors were already swirling about financial problems at Aqualectra.
The pension age needed to rise, but it was ignored.
Our neighborhoods needed improvement.
The prison system did not work at the expected level.
Healthcare was failing.
Our universities were outdated.
Schools needed reform.
Public transport was inadequate.
So why did certain subsystems in Curaçao begin to fail? The answer was clear: poor management and bad staffing. For years, Curaçao 2.0 has struggled with putting the right people in the right positions. The only positive thing in 2013 was that we finally knew who couldn't do the job. And sure, the 30-somethings (Generation Y) had some potential, but they needed to collaborate more with the Baby Boomers and Generation X.
Collaboration was necessary back then, and now we are paying the price for not acting fast enough. Without it, Curaçao 2.0 would grind to a halt—and it has. I said this in 2013, and by 2024, it had happened. If we do not work together, we will never move forward.
But here is the key: trying to repair 2.0 was a waste of time. The solution is not to fix the broken systems but to build entirely new ones—Curaçao 5.0. The foundation of this new system needed to be sustainability and shared resources. The old 2.0 systems—politics, governance, education, healthcare, transport, pensions—were all broken. The answer was to replace them with systems that could meet the demands of the future.
Back then, I emphasized the role of technology—particularly the internet and social media. Generation Y, the millennials, were coming of age, soon to be followed by Generation Z, while the Baby Boomers were starting to retire. These younger generations were raised on the internet, smartphones, and social networks. They saw the world differently and had fresh perspectives on societal problems. They were not afraid to challenge the status quo. In fact, many blamed the Baby Boomers for the current mess—issues like pensions and healthcare crises were seen as the result of bad policies from the past.
Now, in 2024, we are living with the consequences of ignoring these warnings. Curaçao 2.0 was broken, and it is beyond fixing. What remains is to build Curaçao 5.0 from where we are. We have no other choice (Goede, 2013).
Miguel Goede
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