On October 10, 2010, Curacao and St. Maarten became autonomous countries within the Dutch Kingdom. Together with Aruba and three special municipalities, a new structure was born. Fifteen years later, the question lingers: how independent are these islands really?

The islands elected their own parliaments and governments, but key areas remain under Dutch control. Foreign policy, defense, and law enforcement are Kingdom affairs — in practice, Dutch policy. Support from the Netherlands is still necessary, yet it creates tension. Because criticism is regularly voiced from the islands that the Netherlands imposes too many conditions and dictates reforms.

The road from unity to independence

The road to autonomy did not start in 2010. That began decades ago, when an autonomous political system was established for the Netherlands Antilles in 1954. Though it was dominated by Curacao, with smaller islands often sidelined. Most of the national departments were located on Curacao and also politically, it was clear who had the upper hand. From 1950 to 1985 there were 22 seats: Curacao had 12 seats, Aruba 8, Bonaire 1 and the three Windward Islands together had only 1. It was never possible to vote for a party on another island. When Aruba left in 1986, it revealed the deep fractures between the islands. Even after their departure, the distribution remained uneven. From 1986 to 2010, Curacao held 14 seats, Bonaire 3, St. Maarten 3, Saba 1, and Sint Eustatius 1 of the 22.

It is not entirely surprising that more and more differences appear and fractures arise. From 2010 onward the Antillen are dissolved and split. On the map above you can see the geographical lay out of the islands (Curacao; blue, Aruba; orange, St Maarten; red. The three islands that remained as a special municipality; green). Political sensitivities aside, Curacao and St. Maarten share parts of their history due to the colonial occupation – yet they are worlds apart. Quite literally: they are located 1,000 kilometers from each other. They also have different languages, and are shaped by very different landscapes…

Making an identity

Becoming independent is not only about politics and government but also about identity and the way communities define themselves. It gave Curaçao and St. Maarten the opportunity to rediscover themselves. A complex process, in which the islands are still navigating. Buildings and public spaces connect past, present, and future, helping to strengthen that identity — it is a representation of the culture, the landscape and the people.

Over the past 15 years, the islands have seen increased demand for construction developments. Developments related to the islands’ population growth, tourism, and country restructuring. This also started a search for contemporary architecture, one that fits the current norms and values ​​of a place. For centuries, the built environment on all the Dutch Caribbean islands was shaped by the standards ​​of the Dutch occupiers. Now is the opportunity to create a unique, contemporary style. What that will look like is up to designers to discover.

Last year, we made a documentary on contemporary Caribbean architecture.

A personal reflection

For Lyongo Juliana, this story is also personal. “As a Yiu di Korsou (not Curaçaoan by birth but by heart) and growing up in the time of the Netherlands Antilles, I always felt the imbalance. Curaçao dominated, while the Windward islands were often ignored. Perhaps these are scars from the past, where we learned to distrust others. The emancipation monument bearing the inscription ‘Relying on Our Own Strength, Yet with the Will to Support Each Other’ seems like a cry in the wilderness. Perhaps you can only support others when you know who you are, where you are coming from, and, more importantly, where you want to go. And we still have some figuring out to do in that regard. That’s why it might simply take some time to be able to support each other.”

Over the past 15 years, Lyongo frequently encountered the term “nation building” while living and working in Curaçao. But what does it actually mean? “To what extent have we on Curaçao been working to build our institutions responsibly over the past 15 years? What is the state of our education? What is the state of our cultural pillars? What is the status of our social security? And, most fundamentally, how is our mental and physical health? As you can see, autonomy often raises questions for me. Not only when I look back, but also when I look forward. The economy has been growing in recent years, but you can ask yourself where are we headed. Are we capable of steering this economic growth in the right direction?”