The 1977 Aruba general strike (Papiamento: Augustus Scur, 'Dark August') was a week-long, general labor strike organized by local Aruban politician and activist Betico Croes and the MEP (Aruban independence party) from August 11 to August 18 on the island of Aruba. [1] The strike is generally considered part of Aruba's political struggle for autonomy and political secession from the Netherlands Antilles, ultimately being achieved in 1986 with Aruba's Status Aparte.
The general strike was organized by Betico Croes and MEP in response to Boy Rozendal of the Democratic Party of Curaçao (a long-standing opponent of Aruban autonomy) installing his coalition to lead the government of the Netherlands Antilles (despite no former being assigned to create a new cabinet beforehand) after winning the 1977 Netherlands Antilles election without consulting MEP. [2] The strike was also in response to the Netherlands Antilles government declaring the 1977 Aruban independence referendum as illegal, [3] the Aruban AVP and the PPD also having boycotted the referendum.
On August 18, Netherlands Antillean riot police arrested numerous union leaders and Aruban political figures related to the strike, ending it. [4] The 1977 Aruban general strike paved way for political dialogue between Aruba, the Netherlands and Netherlands Antilles regarding Aruba's status within the kingdom. Later leading to Aruba's political secession from the Netherlands Antilles and becoming a separate, autonomous, constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. [5]
Aruba, officially the Country of Aruba, is a constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, in the southern Caribbean Sea 29 kilometres (18 mi) north of the Venezuelan peninsula of Paraguaná and 80 kilometres (50 mi) northwest of Curaçao. In 1986, it became a constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands and acquired the formal name the Country of Aruba.
The Netherlands Antilles, also known as the Dutch Antilles, was a constituent Caribbean country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands consisting of the islands of Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten in the Lesser Antilles, and Aruba, Curaçao, and Bonaire in the Leeward Antilles. The country came into being in 1954 as the autonomous successor of the Dutch colony of Curaçao and Dependencies, and it was dissolved in 2010, when like Aruba in 1986, Sint Maarten and Curaçao gained status of constituent countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Bonaire gained status of special municipality of Netherlands as the Caribbean Netherlands. The neighboring Dutch colony of Surinam in continental South America, did not become part of the Netherlands Antilles but became a separate autonomous country in 1954. All the territories that belonged to the Netherlands Antilles remain part of the kingdom today, although the legal status of each differs. As a group they are still commonly called the Dutch Caribbean, regardless of their legal status. People from this former territory continue to be called Antilleans in the Netherlands.
The following is an alphabetical list of topics related to the nation of Aruba.
Gilberto François "Betico" Croes was an Aruban political activist who was a proponent for Aruba's separation from the Netherlands Antilles. This eventually occurred in 1986, but following a car accident on 31 December 1985, Croes lapsed into a coma and never became conscious to see his accomplishment. He is best remembered as "Libertador" (liberator) and as the father of the Aruban people.
The Aruban Patriotic Party is a political party in Aruba. It was founded in 1949.
The People's Electoral Movement is a social democratic political party in Aruba. Following the 2001 general election for the Parliament of Aruba the party won 52.4% of popular vote and 12 out of 21 seats. In the 2005 general election, the party won 43% of the popular vote and 11 out of 21 seats thus won the election and remained in power. In the 2009 general election, MEP lost 2 seats and won 36% of the vote, subsequently losing the election.
Jan Hendrik Albert "Henny" Eman is an Aruban retired politician. He was the first Prime Minister of Aruba from 1 January 1986 to 9 February 1989 and again from 29 July 1994 to 30 October 2001.
The Netherlands Antilles was an autonomous Caribbean country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It was dissolved on 10 October 2010.
The governor of Aruba is the representative on Aruba of the Dutch monarch. The governor's duties are twofold; he represents and guards the general interests of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and is head of the Aruban government. He is accountable to the government of the kingdom. As the head of the Aruban government, the governor is inviolable; the ministers are responsible. The governor does not have political responsibilities and is not part of the Aruban cabinet. During the formation of a cabinet, the governor plays an important role. The governor is appointed by the monarch for a period of six years. This period can be prolonged for one more term of six years. The governor is supported and advised by the Council of Advice, consisting of at least five members, appointed by the governor, advising him on the drafts of state ordinances, state decrees, kingdom acts and general administrative orders.
Francisco Walfrido "Frido" Croes was an Aruban politician and schoolteacher who held the office of Minister Plenipotentiary of Aruba from 2005 to 2009. Prior to that, he served as a member of the Estates of Aruba from 1989 to 1994, and as its President from 2001 to 2004. He also served as Minister of Education from 2004 to 2005.
Michiel Godfried "Mike" Eman is an Aruban politician who served as the 3rd Prime Minister of Aruba from 2009 to 2017. His political career began in 2001, but Eman has been involved in politics in one way or another since his childhood. His grandfather, father and brother were all prominent politicians in their lifetimes, with Henny Eman having preceded him in office (twice) as Prime Minister, including as the first to hold the office after Aruba's status aparte in 1986.
Jan Hendrik Albert "Henny" Eman was an Aruban politician and founder of the Aruban People's Party who led the movement for Aruba's autonomy from Curaçao. His grandson went on to become the first Prime Minister of Aruba.
Status aparte refers to the special status of Aruba between 1986 and 2010 as a constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, separate from the Netherlands Antilles to which it belonged until 1986. With the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles in October 2010, the term status aparte was no longer used, as the status of Aruba was no longer separate, but rather the norm for all countries within the Kingdom.
Antonito Gordiano "Mito" Croes was an Aruban politician of the Aruban People's Party. He served as Minister Plenipotentiary of Aruba from 1994 to 2001. He previously served as member of the Estates and government minister of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba.
Evelyna Christina "Evelyn" Wever-Croes is an Aruban politician and current Prime Minister of Aruba, serving since November 2017. She is the first woman to hold this office. She is a member of the People's Electoral Movement (MEP) and has been the leader of the party since 2011.
Dominico Felipe "Don" Martina is a Curaçaoan politician. He served two terms as Prime Minister of the Netherlands Antilles. His first term lasted from November 1979 to October 1984 and his second term from January 1986 to July 1988.
Island council elections were held in the Netherlands Antilles on 29 April and 6 May 1983 to elect the members of the island councils of its six island territories. The election was won by the People's Electoral Movement in Aruba, the Bonaire Democratic Party in Bonaire, the New Antilles Movement in Curaçao, the Windward Islands People's Movement in Saba, the Democratic Party Statia in Sint Eustatius, and the Democratic Party in Sint Maarten.
Sylvius Gerard Marie "Boy" Rozendal was an Curaçao politician and journalist. He served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands Antilles from 1971 until 1975, Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister from 1969 until 1971, and Minister Plenipotentiary of the Netherlands Antilles from 1971 until 1975.
John William Merryweather was an Aruban landscape architect and politician. He served as the first Minister Plenipotentiary of Aruba from 1986 until 1989.
Alicia Angela Tromp-Yarzagaray, known as Ella Tromp-Yarzagaray, is an Aruban former politician of the People's Electoral Movement party. She was the first woman to hold the positions of Minister of Finance and Minister Plenipotentiary in the country.