Political History of Aruba

     Aruba was once a member of the Netherlands Antilles, a six-island alliance that comprised Bonaire, Curaçao, St. Maarten, Saba, and St. Eustatius. Aruba became an independent body within the Kingdom of the Netherlands on January 1, 1986. The Netherlands Antilles was disbanded in October 2010, but the countries that were once part of it are now part of the Kingdom, although with different statuses. The islands are still referred to collectively as the Dutch Caribbean. Following division, the Dutch Caribbean's "BES islands" — Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba — became the Caribbean Netherlands, "special municipalities" of the Netherlands proper — a system peculiar to the Caribbean. Meanwhile, Curaçao and Sint Maarten, including Aruba, which split from the Netherlands Antilles in 1986, became constituent countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. 

Aruba has its own constitution, which is based on democratic values from the West. The governor of Aruba is appointed by the King of the Netherlands and serves as her agent for a 6-year term. Aruba is currently a member of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Aruba was discovered by Alonso de Ojeda almost 500 years ago, in 1499, and was considered "Spanish" territory. For the time when these privateers/pirates used Aruba as a safe harbor as well as a bunker for fresh water and provisions during the Spanish/French/English expansion waves, Aruba became Spanish, French, and English. After the English claimed New York and the Antilles were given to Peter Stuyvesant in exchange for New York, Aruba became the colony of Curaçao, along with the other five Dutch Antilles islands. The Dutch did not give Aruba, along with the other five islands of Bonaire, Curaçao, St. Maarten, St. Eustatius, and Saba, self-government until 1954. The call for freedom (read "Status Aparte") became louder as Aruba's economy was bolstered by the founding of the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey. At this time, the island was ruled by the political parties A.V.P. (Arubaanse Volks Partij) and U.N.A. (Union Nacionalista Arubano). Following that, Mr. Juancho Irausquin, a former member of the P.P.A. (Partido Patriotico Arubano), founded the P.P.A. (Partido Patriotico Arubano).

webmaster@visitaruba.com. “Aruba Government and Politics - VisitAruba.Com.” Www.Visitaruba.Com, 2021, www.visitaruba.com/about-aruba/general-aruba-facts/government-and-politics.