Bonaire Island belongs to its people, not Netherlands, says PM advisor

The island of Bonaire is owned by its people, not the Netherlands, and its population has the right to determine its own future, Byron-Cox Richard Anthony Beresford, Advisor to the Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, stated, according to local media.

"The Dutch parliament should have recognized that these people do not want this state and have the right to determine their own future," he said at the international conference "The Role of Youth in Decolonizing Urbanization" as part of WUF13 in Baku.

The adviser noted that Bonaire is a Caribbean island that was formerly under Spanish rule and has been under Dutch colonial administration since 1633.

Bonaire is a small island located in the southern Caribbean Sea and forms part of the group known as the ABC islands alongside Aruba and Curaçao.

Historically, the island was first inhabited by Indigenous Caquetío people before Europeans arrived in the late 15th century, when Spain claimed it but did not develop it extensively due to its limited economic value.

Bonaire later came under Dutch influence and became part of the Netherlands Antilles before that entity was dissolved in 2010, after which Bonaire was integrated more directly into the Kingdom of the Netherlands as a “special municipality.”

Today, the island is known for its arid climate, salt production history, and strong emphasis on marine conservation and diving tourism, which are central to its modern economy.

By Jeyhun Aghazada