Wendrick Cicilia, a rising star of the Partido di Pueblo Arubano (AVP), has recently made bold claims about his party's role in Aruba's energy future. But as much as he tries to portray AVP as the pioneer of green energy, closer inspection reveals a disturbing truth - AVP's so-called energy revolution is little more than a repeated failure of outdated policies and unfulfilled promises of the past. In fact, Cicilia's rhetoric is little more than a fresh coat of paint over the same old strategies that have failed to solve Aruba's pressing energy problems.
Cicilia's attempts to portray AVP as the driving force behind Aruba's green energy transformation - especially through initiatives such as the Vader Piet Wind Farm - are not only misleading, but downright dishonest. The Father Pete Wind Farm, presented as a flagship of AVP's so-called vision, was not the brains behind this project of the party. Indeed, the project was conceived and implemented long before AVP came to power, under the leadership of previous governments. The park opened in 2009, a time when other political groups were in power, and it was funded by both public and private initiatives with a clear goal: to begin reducing Aruba's dependence on fossil fuels.
Still, Cicilia and his party are trying to take credit for this renewable energy project. Despite the fact that the project was conceived under a different government, AVP seems to present itself as the pioneer of green energy. This kind of historical revision is not only shameful, but demonstrates the party's inability to innovate or make real progress.
Cicilia's claims that AVP has brought Aruba "one step closer to sustainability" are laughable. While the wind farm contributes a modest percentage of the island's energy production, the government has done little to further expand renewable energy projects or significantly reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Under AVP's reign, the energy transition has stagnated. The so-called "vision" to make Aruba a "Happy Sustainable Island" sounds more like a catchy slogan than substantial policy action. This is not leadership - this is regurgitating old ideas without new action.
Moreover, it is clear that Cicilia's personal ambitions are those of his political predecessors. He comes across as nothing more than a younger version of Mike Eman - another political figure who, like Cicilia, built his career on flashy promises that ultimately failed to deliver. While Cicilia dresses it up nicely with youthful enthusiasm, the truth remains: AVP has neither presented groundbreaking energy solutions nor addressed the long-term challenges of sustainability on the island. Instead, they continue to cling to outdated concepts that are unable to bring about the change Aruba so desperately needs.
Cicilia's suggestion to ask the government to invest more in renewable energy projects such as wind and solar power is not a revelation - it is a repetition of ideas that have been discussed for more than a decade. His claims that AVP would usher in a new era of energy independence for Aruba fall flat when you look at their track record. The reality is that AVP has not implemented significant energy reforms or supported large-scale projects that actually make a difference in reducing dependence on fossil fuels.
To deepen the wound, Cicilia made vague references to an "Investment Fund" that will allegedly finance Aruba's energy transition. While he calls it a visionary proposal, the plan appears to be nothing more than a paper promise. If past performance is any indication, this is just another empty promise designed to win votes without any clear commitment to actual progress.
In fact, AVP's record over the past seven years in government has been anything but admirable on energy policy. Instead of taking bold steps to increase Aruba's renewable energy capacity, they have chosen to maintain the status quo. The real question is why, after so many years in power, the government still has not implemented large-scale projects or made tangible progress to reduce fossil fuel consumption. It seems that under Cicilia and his colleagues, Aruba's energy future is still up in the air.
Cicilia's attack on the current government's lack of action on energy is rich with irony. After all, its own party has done nothing to lead by example. If anything, Cicilia simply offers more of the same, but with a new face. His speeches about "green energy" and "sustainability" sound impressive, but if you strip away the rhetoric, it is clear that AVP has made no progress in promoting renewable energy. Instead of innovating and pushing forward, Cicilia and AVP are content to recycle old projects and make big promises without any plan to deliver on them.
So when Cicilia talks about Aruba's energy future, we have to ask: what future does he mean? The one in which AVP continues to muddle through with renewable energy and clings to outdated fossil fuel dependencies? Or the one in which Aruba finally throws off the shackles of the past and embraces real, viable change? Given Cicilia's track record, it is hard to believe that the future will be any different than the present - filled with empty promises and a complete lack of progress.
The time has come for Aruba to stop listening to politicians who offer nothing but repeated slogans. It is time for real leadership, not another round of the same old political games. And Wendrick Cicilia, with all due respect, is simply Mike Eman in a younger body - someone who talks loud but offers little of substance when it comes to the change Aruba needs.
