BONAIRE — On behalf of the people of Bonaire, I extend our sincere congratulations to Prime Minister Mia Mottley on her historic victory in the elections held 11th January2026, securing her third term in office as Prime Minister of Barbados.
At the 2025 CARICOM Heads of Government Meeting in Bridgetown, Barbados , we were honored to be invited to present and discuss the Bonaire Self-Governance Assessment Report, prepared by a consultant to the Bonaire Human Rights Organization (BHRO) and a United Nations decolonization expert.
At this meeting, we had the privilege of meeting H.E. Mia Amor Mottley after several years of encountering each other at international forums around the world. We then had the opportunity to meet with other regional leaders to further discuss the findings of the report and the situation in Bonaire.
The report outlines what occurred after 10 October 2010, when Bonaire was embedded into the constitutional structure of the Netherlands without the consent of its people. Particularly critical and alarming is the demographic shift from approximately 80% native Bonaireans prior to 10-10-10 to roughly 30% in 2025, reducing the native population to a minority on its own island. It also examines the governance framework in which key legislation is determined in The Hague, subordinating and erasing the authority of the local government.
We were especially invited to Barbados by Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, together with his Minister of Foreign Affairs, Frederick Stephenson, for a historic bilateral meeting where these findings were substantively discussed, including the importance of placing Bonaire on the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories.
The BHRO delegation further engaged with all Caribbean Prime Ministers and global leaders, including António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, as well as representatives of the European Union, advancing international awareness of Bonaire’s constitutional trajectory and governance concerns.
The Bonaire Human Rights Organization has been an associated member of the CARICOM Reparations Commission since 2023, further strengthening its regional advocacy on behalf of Bonaire.
Despite dedicating over 1000 days, enduring significant sacrifices, time and personal resources to advance the rights and well-being of Bonaire’s people, James Finies, founder of the BHRO, continues to be excluded on Bonaire. Local politicians and the Dutch government use every opportunity to downplay, boycott the significant and historical work —that James Finies is doing on the global stage for the people and for future generations of Bonaire.
As the saying goes, “there is no prophet in his own town.” Yet, even if he is overlooked at home, regionally and internationally Finies’ unwavering dedication to raising Bonaire’s voice continues to resonate with global leaders. His tireless advocacy highlights that the Bonaire Case and its people are not just a local concern—they embody the very principles upon which the United Nations, international law, and human rights mechanisms were founded: to defend, protect, and amplify the voices of those too often marginalized and ignored.
