Bonaire journalist accuses Netherlands of disrespecting Island’s culture, norms

The Netherlands does not show due respect for the values, norms and culture of Bonaire Island, said the head of Radio Vision FM radio station on Bonaire Island, Albertico Janga.

He made the remarks during the conference "The path of Bonaire Island’s self-determination through the UN General Assembly in Baku", Caliber.Az reports, citing local media.

He said income tax is levied on Bonaire residents by the Dutch government, but that country's finance minister never reports to local authorities on the expenditure of these funds.

“In addition, after the island came under Dutch administration, residents lost their right to free dental care. In general, we are facing many health problems,” he said.

Before European colonization, Bonaire was inhabited by the indigenous Arawak people, specifically the Caquetio tribe.

The Spanish arrived on Bonaire in 1499, with the island being claimed by Spanish explorers Alonso de Ojeda and Amerigo Vespucci. The Spanish found little economic value in the island, largely because it lacked gold and other resources deemed valuable at the time. As a result, the indigenous population was enslaved and transported to Hispaniola to work in the mines there.

Bonaire came under Dutch control in 1636 during the Eighty Years' War when the Dutch West India Company seized the island from the Spanish. The Dutch used Bonaire as a salt production site and for livestock farming, which became economically significant for the Dutch colonial empire.

Enslaved Africans were brought to Bonaire to work in the salt pans and in other agricultural endeavours. Slavery continued on the island until the abolition of slavery in the Dutch colonies in 1863.

Bonaire remained a Dutch colony through various geopolitical shifts. After the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles in 2010, Bonaire became a special municipality of the Netherlands. This status means that it is directly governed by the Dutch government, though it retains some local autonomy.

Today, Bonaire's status as part of the Netherlands has led to discussions about self-determination and decolonization. Some residents and political movements argue for greater autonomy or even independence, while others are content with the current relationship with the Netherlands, which provides economic and infrastructural benefit