Too Many Conferences, Too Little Time: Keeping Up with Curaçao

Too Many Conferences, Too Little Time: Keeping Up with Curaçao

November 26, 2024

It seems like conference season is in full swing in Curaçao, and I can barely keep up. I missed the Fintech conference organized by the Central Bank and will likely miss the NWO’s Dutch Caribbean Re-search Week and the annual CCCP conference. Then there’s Invest Willemstad, which I cannot afford to skip since I am contributing to one of the panels. On top of that, I am organizing Curaçao 2024 and hosting the book discussion for “Eenzaam aan de top” (Alone at the Top). Both events are non-negotiable for me.

Add to this the whirlwind of personal commitments—family, children, friends visiting—and it feels impossible to keep up with everything. I imagine I’m not alone in this juggling act.

One event I genuinely regret missing is the Fintech conference. Not long ago, in July 2024, I participated in a Central Bank panel on BRICS and the dollarization of Curaçao. I argued that the future of Fintech lies in the hands of young people, and each day, the rise of digital currency seems more inevitable. Fintech is not just a trend; it’s shaping the foundation of how economies will function, and Curaçao needs to be part of that conversation. Missing the conference feels like missing a pivotal moment in that evolution.

While conferences strive to shape the future, the present is tangled in controversies. Just today, I heard that a member of the opposition party has filed a 400-page criminal complaint against the Minister of Finance over the handling of e-gaming regulations. It’s not the first complaint against this minister—other concerns the alleged write-off of 3 billion guilders in unpaid taxes.

Then there’s the extended detention of a parliament member, now up to 60 days, alongside an ever-growing stack of unresolved cases. These include allegations of document forgery in the refinery’s finan-cial dealings, with 2Bays Curaçao now facing severe financial strug-gles. And let’s not forget the parliamentary investigation into the 200-million-guilder cost overrun for the new hospital. The list goes on and on.

It’s overwhelming, to say the least. Trying to keep up with it all while balancing work and personal life feels like chasing a moving target.

I’ve decided to do my best to keep up with the whirlwind of events and developments. Some things will inevitably slip through the cracks, and that’s okay. We can’t do it all. But there are certain things you shouldn’t miss. If you’re in Curaçao, don’t miss Curaçao 2024 or the “Eenzaam aan de top” book discussion.

How about you? Are you managing to keep up?

Miguel Goede