Willemstad, Curaçao — George Hernández, President of the Algemene Bond van Overheid en Overig Personeel (ABVO), the leading public-sector union in Curaçao and across the Dutch Caribbean, has passed away today, Friday, August 28, 2026.
Hernández led ABVO at a time of growth and renewal for the organization. Under his chairmanship, the union expanded its membership in Curaçao, Bonaire, and St. Maarten strengthened its presence in the public sector and government-owned companies, and became increasingly active in the port, airport, courier, and private sectors.
In April 2026, during ABVO’s 90th anniversary, he described the union as “stronger than ever,” noting that the foundation laid in 1936 still stood firm. He was a visible advocate for civil servants and other workers, pressing for the restoration of working conditions reduced during the COVID-19 period, the conclusion of new collective labor agreements, training, capacity building, and a stronger voice for the working class.
A union with a 90-year history ABVO was founded on Thursday, April 14, 1936, at a meeting in Otrobanda in the Kranshi building on Curaçaostraat — the site of what is now an office of Fekoskan — under the name Algemene Curaçaosche Ambtenarenbond (ACAB).
Its statutes were recognized by government decree on May 16, 1936.
The founders included Moises Frumencio da Costa Gomez, Theo Krafft, and C. Bablain de Verster. The organization later operated as the Algemene Nederlands-Antilliaanse Ambtenaren Bond (ANAAB).
The name ABVO — Algemene Bond Voor Overheidspersoneel, now commonly Algemene Bond van Overheid en Overig Personeel — came into use on January 1, 1968.
Mission and vision
ABVO describes itself as an ideological union working for the progress of its members and their families, and for society at large. Its strategy centers on collective agreements, training, capacity building, education, and keeping members competitive in the labor market, while cooperating with other social organizations for the benefit of the working class and the community.
Its stated vision is to be the organization that makes the difference in the Caribbean and Latin American region and to reinvent unionism. Hernández represented that mission in negotiations, public debate, and regional contacts, including ABVO’s affiliation with Public Services International (PSI) in the Caribbean.
Funeral arrangements and a formal statement from the ABVO board are expected in the coming days. The union, its members across Curaçao and the Dutch Caribbean, and the wider labor movement will remember him as a leader who sought to grow the organization while defending the rights and dignity of working people.
