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Diamonds International Aruba
Greetings From the Most Beautiful Place on Earth
The Price Of Saving Face
February 17, 2009 - That Aruba is one of the most beautiful places on earth, a prime tourist destination and a mecca for wreck divers is undisputable, but as with any great or small landmass in the world, its not without its problems. One of those problems reared its ugly head with the disappearance of Natalee Holloway on May 30th of 2005 and the subsequent investigation.
From Dutch police commissioner Jan van der Straten lagging on search efforts in a perceived attempt to help the father of the prime suspect to chief prosecutor Hans Mos, who incorrectly equated spending on the case with the solving of the case, something definitely smells rotten in Denmark. That the case was mishandled has been well documented by the major media outlets of the Netherlands, the U.S. and any other nation who covered the story. Cries of malfeasance from politicians in Holloways home state have been continual since her disappearance. Even Denmarks right wing political MP has spoken out against the Arubian authorities handling of the investigation.
But one crime committed by a spoiled rotten noer-do-well does not a dangerous island make. Aruba is still and will likely always be one of the safest islands in the Caribbean. Likewise, while a few corrupt politicians and law enforcement officers may have done irreparable damage to the reputation of the Arubian authorities, theyre certainly not the norm and shouldnt be considered representative of the police force or governement as a whole. The fact that a crime was committed is obvious, but it was another crime altogether that rightfully drew the ire of many who might otherwise one day visit this exquisite paradise and see it for the wonderful place that it truly is.
The crime in question was perpetrated by the Arubian government and the Aruba Strategic Communications Task Force.
When Alabama, followed by Georgia and Arkansas, called for a national travel boycott to Aruba, it was in response to the mishandling of the Holloway investigation. In a letter to the American Society of Travel Agents, Alabama senator Richard Shelby stated that, For the safety, security and wellbeing of our citizens, I do not believe that we can trust that we will be protected while in Aruba. And why would he? Why would anyone familiar with the Natalee Holloway story feel the Island is safe for their loved ones? After all, the investigation was rightfully maligned by the world press at the time of the boycott and it had become readily apparent that a criminal remained unprosecuted.
Joran van der Sloot, it is widely believed, had provided Holloway with drugs which caused her death, then made arrangements to dispose of her body in an effort to conceal himself from prosecution. Whether or not this was her final fate or whether there was any truth to alternate scenarios involving sexual assault or physical violence, it was evident that van der Sloot was the last person with Holloway, had lied to investigators on multiple occasions regarding his actions that night and was aided in avoiding prosecution by corruption among some of Arubas law enforcement and political authorities.
What stands out is the amount of money spent on the Holloway investigation and how it must have been as misappropriated as the investigative manpower spent looking into Jan van der Stratens initial handling of the case. Although accusations have been publicly stated, no one in the Arubian government has moved forward to make a case against him. Is the corruption so deep that an investigation into the obvious mishandling of the original investigation couldnt be undertaken? In short, whos policing the police? This is just one of many areas where nothing, at least publicly, has been done in an effort to get to the truth. If money is influence (and with a prime suspect who has practically done everything but handcuff himself in admission of his lies and guilt), this case should have been solved long ago. It has cost the Island in the form of negative press and the resulting loss in tourist revenue. If connecting the dots to who did what and who got in the way of finding out would not only bring a killer to justice but reassure visitors from around the world that Aruba is indeed a safe place to visit, why not financially provide the pressure to make sure that happens?
But instead of acknowledging a purposefully bungled investigation, vowing to bring the guilty to justice and committing funds to stamp out the corruption that had let a killer go free, the Aruba Strategic Communications Task Force decided it best to go on the counterattack, denouncing the boycott and falsifying the numbers of reported visitors to the island in an effort to make it appear as though the boycott was ineffective.
It cant be argued that the people of Aruba proceeded with the best intentions when it came to the Holloway case, especially considering all the donations, personal and government allowed search hours devoted to finding her. Aruba is filled to capacity with caring people who dont want to see anyone hurt, harmed or missing. Those employed by the tourism industry dont deserve to suffer from the actions of corrupt politicians any more than Natalee Holloway deserved to be a victim of Joran van der Sloot.
But the truth of the matter is that reactions to the misdeeds of those who bungled the Holloway case had to be reflected on the many, as thats the purpose, right or wrong, for the boycott. Those who have repeatedly reaped the benefit of their position cant have it both ways. Police and elected officials in Aruba are paid through tourist dollars. They cannot embrace tourism when it benefits them to do so yet grossly fail in their duties when it comes time to protect those same tourists from harm.
The boycott was (and is) an effort by those outside of Aruba to put pressure on those in Aruba who have the power and funds to root out the corruption that has defined the Holloway case. Its purpose was not to classify the population of an island as criminal, but to encourage the tourism industry, which
pays for the political representatives of Aruba and their lifestyles, to do the right thing. In this instance, the right thing isnt limited to the successful prosecution of Joran van der Sloot, but to the prosecution of those who stood in the way of or failed to provide a competent investigation.
Aruba is, in a word, great. Its great weather, great places and most of all, great people. But in the end, a refusal to acknowledge and deal with corruption plays like publicly portrayed indifference on the part of the Arubian government and the Aruba Strategic Communications Task Force. Through defensive statements and unnecessary ad campaigns, theyve managed to make Aruba look great at ignoring the fact that a crime was covered up. Falsified numbers cant take away that perception any better than Lewis Black or all the advertisements in the world. The Natalee Holloway murder began with one guilty party and ended with several. Until those who are guilty are brought to justice for their crimes, there are better uses for monetary resources than saving face.
-Submitted by Don Verbeck
As with all user submitted material, the opinions expressed here are those of the author and are not to be interpreted as representative of the Diamonds International Aruba website or our parent company, Diamonds international, LLC. We encourage commentary by our readership, accepting submissions of original content pertaining to the island of Aruba, the Caribbean, cruising (cruise ship travel), the jewelry industry or related topics of interest which may be posted at our discretion. Submit your editorial here, complete with full name, date and any necessary formatting instructions.
One Response to The Price Of Saving Face
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WorldJOURNIER Says:
February 17th, 2009 at 2:58 pm Thank You, Mr. Verbeck, for your courage in speaking to The Truth.
