Society and personal reflection

Patrick Honnebier is identified as one of the very few aircraft finance lawyers having obtained the benefits of both worlds. He is a long-standing academic

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Alzheimer's is a progressive neurological disorder affecting memory, thinking, and behavior. Alzheimer's patients slowly lose their ability to remember thi

Today’s column encapsulates the urgency of our times and the moral imperative to protect our most vulnerable citizens, our children. This week I take a clo

I'm taking a brief departure from our usual discussions. This week, it won’t be about Aruba's foreign debt, exorbitant interest rates, the housing crisis,

YourFavorite Columnist Last weekend, most of us were at home celebrating Good Friday and the Easter weekend. I spent the whole weekend at home with my sons

There has been a lot of debate surrounding the Same-Sex marriage case at the Supreme Court. The debate intensified last week when a bill was presented on t

Often, I am approached by folks with legal questions, whether at the grocery store, in a parking lot, or at a restaurant. It usually starts with: “I know t

A technological awakening is on the horizon in the sun-soaked paradise of Aruba, where azure waters meet sugar-white sands. Despite lagging in the fast-pac

The recent Torrealba Gonzalez vs. Sociale Verzekeringsbank SVB

Yesterday, Sunday, November 3rd, 2024, the Red Cross Aruba brought the community together for a lively and heartfelt fundraising

This week’s column isn’t about geopolitics, the environment, finance, or law. It’s not about a pressing issue or breaking news. No, this one is about you.

January always feels like a fresh start, a chance to recalibrate and reflect on where we’re headed. For my family, this year began with a poignant mileston

Trinity. That name might first remind you of the black-clad warrior from The Matrix - played by Carrie-Anne Mosshttp

🎙️ New Podcast Episode Just Dropped! From TheMatrix to the heart of Aruba - this week’s episode explores the powerful story of Trinity Quality Care Service

Earlier this month, I wrote an open letter to the Chief of Police: Are UTV operators authorized to direct traffic? What we’ve all witnessed—convoys stoppin

Autonomy isn’t a destination — it’s an ongoing act of responsibility, dialogue, and renewal. In January 2026, Aruba will mark a profound milestone: forty y

Last week, I gave you a glimpse of the travel madness I was in the middle of - long flights, time zones colliding, and a temporary shutdown of Middle Easte

It’s Sunday again. And this time, I write with a heavy heart. For over a week now, the island has been holding its breath, gripped by the story

I’m on the road with my eldest son, Gavril 19, a journey that will take us through the Netherlands and then to Bremen, Germany, where he will begin busines

Written from Europe, a follow-up to an earlier column on Alzheimer’s rights In the past, I wrote about

Every once in a while, a conversation sneaks up on you. You walk in expecting nothing, and you walk out thinking about it for the rest of the night. That’s

A Book That Sparked More Than Memory In 2008, Dr. Jorge R. Ridderstaat

This week’s column isn’t about law, public finances, or geopolitics. It’s not a policy critique or a legal explainer. It’s something more personal-and, I’d

A personal tribute to a fellow architect of the Status Aparte - my father. I was born in 1969, the year the flames ignited in Curaçao, and the smoke drifte

To mark 40 years of Status Aparte is to do more than remember a date. It is to look around, to look back, and to look ahead. To ask ourselves what we’ve bu

Most weeks, I write about heavy things. Economics. Law. Governance. Long arcs and hard edges. I don’t mind that work. It matters. But every now and then, i

The Conch Paradox: Rethinking Resilience. Earlier this week, I attended a book signing by Rendell de Kort

Recently, my son Gavin asked me a simple question. "Dad, where did our family come from?" At first, I thought the answer would be relatively easy to find.

It’s a dog-eat-dog world out there. Perhaps that’s why, while reviewing this week’s court judgments, one case

The Dream Home Some of the most expensive mistakes in real estate begin with a smile. A few weeks ago, an older couple - retired and no strangers to buying