KRALENDIJK – James Finies, leader of the Bonaire Human Rights Organization (BHRO) and the emerging political movement PPU, argues that Bonaire is governed by a small corrupt political and economic elite in cooperation with The Hague, leaving the island in a state of political decline and what he calls a disguised dictatorship.
According to Finies, local politicians make decisions based on self-interest or in service of newcomers and foreign interests, while the rights and future of the Bonairian people are ignored.
He accuses the traditional parties such as DP, UPB, MPB, and M21 of having surrendered Bonaire’s democratic and financial autonomy and of placing the island permanently under Dutch colonial rule. “As a result, the population has been politically and demographically marginalized, facing rising living costs, growing inequality, and forced migration to the Netherlands,” Finies claims.
Break
Finies calls for a break with the old political system and for support of his movement, which places human rights and genuine democracy at its core. He stresses that he has made personal sacrifices and brought Bonaire to the attention of the international community, framing the struggle as a matter of survival: without decisive action, the Bonairian people risk disappearing.
