The 1969 Curaçao uprising took place mainly on May 30, but continued into the night of May 31 – June 1, 1969. The riots arose from a strike by workers in the oil industry. The uprising prompted the Dutch government to undertake new efforts to fully decolonize the remains of its colonial empire.
About 1969 Curaçao uprising in brief
The 1969 Curaçao uprising took place mainly on May 30, but continued into the night of May 31 – June 1, 1969. The riots arose from a strike by workers in the oil industry. A protest rally during the strike turned violent, leading to widespread looting and destruction of buildings and vehicles. The uprising prompted the Dutch government to undertake new efforts to fully decolonize the remains of its colonial empire in the 1970s and ’80s. It was a pivotal moment in the history of Curaça and of the vestigial Dutch Empire. In the 19th century the island’s economy was in poor shape. It had few industries other than the manufacture of dyewood, salt, and straw hats. After the Panama Canal was built and oil was discovered in Venezuela’s Maracaibo Basin, Curaceao’s economic situation improved. In 1969, the island had a population of around 141,000, of whom 65,000 lived in the capital, Willemstad. Until 2010, CurAçao was the most populous island and seat of government of the Netherlands Antilles, a country and former Dutch colony composed of six Caribbean islands, which in 1969 had a combined population of about 225,000. The government’s focus on tourism brought some economic growth but did little to reduce unemployment on the island. Black Power sentiments were spreading, mirroring developments in the U.S. and across the Caribbean, of which Cur açaoans were very much aware. The Democratic Party dominated local politics but could not fulfill its promise to maintain prosperity.
A commission investigated the riots; it blamed economic issues, racial tensions, and police and government misconduct, and hundreds of people were arrested. The protests achieved most of their immediate demands: higher wages for workers and the Dutch Antillean government’s resignation. The revolt stoked long-standing distrust in nearby Aruba, which seceded from the NetherlandsAntilles in 1986. It also led to a renewal in Curaquean literature, much of which dealt with local social issues and sparked discussions about Curaco’s national identity. It is now one of the wealthiest islands in the region and living standards are above even even the Netherlands, particularly those in the Madeira, Suriname, and the Netherlands. The number of unskilled, unskilled workers affected by the uprising rose from 5,000 to 8,000 in 1966, with non-white, unsaved workers particularly affected. In 2009, the uprising’s leaders were given seats in parliament, the Estates of the Holland Antilles. The Dutch government is still trying to decolonialize the remaining Dutch colonies, including Aruba and Surinamese island of Madeira and the island of Sint Eustatius, which became independent in 1975. In 2012, the Netherlands announced it would withdraw its support for Aruba’s bid to secede from its former colony, which had been ruled by the Dutch since the 17th century.
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