Controlling The Message ~ Corruption in Paradise

Nelson Oduber takes a cue from his friend Hugo Chavez

Was it not enough that Prime Minister Nelson Oduber controls cable television, land line telephones, cellular telephones, and the internet provider on the island?

Was it not enough that Oduber promoted his own agenda to protect Aruba’s reputation where tourism was concerned?

Was it not enough that Oduber had his own secret “task force” working behind the scenes to malign Natalee Holloway and her family?

Apparently not.

This Aruban newspaper and its’ editor choose to stand up for their fellow Aruban citizens, along with American tourists who come to their island and get victimized – again and again. By pointing out their government's wide-spread corruption, the citizens of Aruba are finally being given an avenue to change their own fate.

El Diario is now being thrown to the wolves by Prime Minister Nelson Oduber. El Diario tossed down the gauntlet of truth at the current government’s feet (MEP) and their response?

Boycott El Diario – control the message.

ORANJESTAD – In an open letter, staff and management of the morning paper Diario have asked the Queen’s attention for the commercial boycott called by the MEP and her leader, Prime Minister Nelson Oduber.

MEP demanded the owner and also director and chief editor Jossy Mansur to publicly apologize to MEP and premier Oduber for all the articles he has published with the intention to damage the reputation of the government and MEP. Mansur has till last Monday to do this, otherwise, the MEP will announce a boycott against Diario.

Since Mansur ignored MEP’s ultimatum, the party decided on a total boycott of the newspaper. No information must be given to Diario. MEP-member had to cancel their subscription as per immediate.. They are also not allowed to buy the paper separately. They cannot place ads in the Diario.

* Nelson Oduber is in charge of SETAR

Amigoe October 12, 2006

Also the Board of Directors of Setar was dismissed last week. The Board and Setar director Roland Croes had problems for quiet some time already. We do not know yet what Prime Minister Oduber, who is in charge of the national company is going to do next.

* What is SETAR?

SETAR N.V., is the privatised full telecommunications service provider for the island of Aruba. The services provided by SETAR includes telephone, internet and GSM-related wireless services.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Setar

1. SETAR provides the fixed line, mobile, internet and data services to Aruba.

"SETAR N.V. Aruba's national telecommunication provider is the principal telecommunication company on the island. SETAR N.V. provides solutions for Fixed line, Mobile, Internet and Data. The company's cellular communications infrastructure offers both GSM and TDMA services. SETAR has more than 70, 000 registered cellular subscribers giving the company a better than 70% penetration rate. Setar also offers trunking and paging." http://www.setar.aw/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=199&Itemid=150

2. SETAR takes over television on Aruba

SETAR N.V. purchases Cable TV Aruba
by A.M. Digital Feb 18, 2005 00:27
UTC ORANJESTAD - At a press conference held on Tuesday, February 15, 1005, SETAR (Aruba Telephone Company) Management announced that the negotiations were completed and that Cable TV is now in the hands of the national telephone company.

On the other hand the Prime Minister also announced that in connection with the purchase of Cable TV Aruba by SETAR – owned for 100% by the Aruba Government – no permits for Cable TV will be issued by this Government. He is aware that some court cases may arise from this decision but they (Government) are prepared for that.
http://news.caribseek.com/set-up/exec/view.cgi?archive=58&num=10318

3. SETAR controls Internet Access

Setar, the government-owned telephone company, is the only ISP in Aruba. Setar now allows limited dial-up Internet access to nonresidents and visitors. Contact your resort for details and pricing.
http://www.arubarentals.com/vacationtips.htm


With all the communication providers in his pocket, Nelson Oduber made this announcement the night Joran Van der Sloot made a confession in the Natalee Holloway case. Immediately after this hint from Oduber, the confession was being touted as a misinformation campaign by the MEP's Minister of Justice, Rudy Croes.


Prime Minister Nelson Oduber went on (Aruban) national radio Friday night to say if something happened to Holloway, it would hurt the island of 97,000, which depends on tourism and has a reputation as one of the safest spots in the Caribbean.

http://kutv.com/topstories/topstories_story_161111313.html Friday, June 10, 2005


Prime Minister Oduber set out to control the message very early on in the case of Natalee Holloway. In our earliest of publications, we pointed out to you the persons from this committee involved with internet postings misdirecting the focus of this victim and her family's search for her.

A.M. Digital Prime Minister Nelson Oduber presents “anti incorrect news” committee
by A.M. Digital Posted: Jun 30, 2005 17:21

UTC ORANJESTAD - At the weekly Government press conference Prime Minister Oduber officially presented a committee that was just appointed and with the task to minimize the effect of all the negative and incorrect information that is being disseminated on Aruba in connection with the disappearance of the American student Natalee Holloway.

“The committee has been working for some time behind the screens without too much publicity, and function on behalf of the people of Aruba in order to minimize the impact of the negative news that is being sent out” The basic mission of the committee is to bring correct information and counteract all publications that are not based on the truth and to explain the function of our judicial institutions and how they operate.

Crimes not Punished – It’s not just the tourists at risk

Diario editorial 4/16/07

The truth can hurt when it’s exposed without circumlocution! What could have led the mediocrity of the MEP party to lose their heads in such an ugly manner? Could it be the bribery of 1 million guilders?

The day I said that Nel Oduber’s government is anti American too, I came with the proofs to demonstrate it, but I left out a couple very painful for Nel, but since he again lost control over his tongue, here are more proofs: Natalee Holloway (American) and the American girl that his son mistreated and then wanted to rape in his own home!

What did Nel’s government do in the case of Natalee?

* Hide their heads in a hole like ostriches so as not to see the truth of what was happening,

* try to fire Jan and Karin because they did not belong to the group of political yes-men of his government;

* put the interest for American tourism money above the value of a human life;

* try to throw the blame on the family of the girl that disappeared, instead of going all-out against the three suspects who are responsible for the bad name Aruba got in other countries, and rightly so because those in power did not lift one finger to defend the victim, but went all out behind the curtain to make the family responsible for the negative image Aruba got, and not against the three suspects in whose company the girl disappeared. She too is an American!

Then his unbelievably stupid anti-American statements; the case of his own son who tried to rape an American girl in his own home! Now there is another American arrested because he pulled a gun against a person that attacked his wife, then committed destruction against her property. A government that has characterized itself as an Anti-American one with unquestionable concrete proofs.

The MEP party is a party of delinquents and promotes delinquency

* a Minister (Ramon Lee) who raped a woman, was accused by her to the Police, and was never even questioned!

* Another Minister (Rudy Croes)who brought in young girls from Santo Domingo and wanted to force them into prostitution with him and his friends;

* another Minister (Nilo Swaen) who was accused by his own department head of manipulating figures to make the government look good;

* another Minister (Rudy Croes again) whose departments sold permits to foreigners, and under whom driver's licenses were also being sold;

* another Minister (the Prime Minister Nelson Oduber) who is a habitual liar and will stop at nothing to carry out his Chavez-inclined plans for Aruba;

* members of Parliament of the MEP party who were caught by the police in drunken driving (Junior Arends) and hit and run (Robert Maduro)

And so much more delinquency and violations of our laws it would take an encyclopedia to hold them! They are a group of the most corrupt public figures ever to participate in Aruban politics. Just go over the Holloway case, and now the Michael Saladin case, and you immediately know the anti-American sentiments of those now in power in Aruba.

Ask the FBI to interrogate Richad Lacle, who will soon be serving a prison sentence in Florida, to find out who is behind this group that offered a big bribe to Nelson Odbuer's party and was never denounced to the police or the prosecutors in Aruba. My attention was brought to this case by the revelation of a letter containing a bribery of 1 million guilders to Nelson Oduber and his party.

Perhaps Oduber should be reminded of his own words to Fox news from June 10, 2005:

"We work together, we care for people ... Nobody stands above the law."


When the message a corrupt government is controlling gets dashed by the truth, provided by an honest voice striving for an Aruban government of integrity and honor, what is your next move?

To silence that voice.

To silence that one method of communication that the corrupted government has no control over.

There is only so much dictatorial behavior an honorable society will tolerate - hopefully the door opened by El Diario will be utilized by the Aruban citizens in demanding transparency, honesty, and objectivity within their government.

Truth and Justice are not just the American way - they are the ways of true humanity.

The truth may hide at times, it may get distorted, but it will never be silenced.

Natalee and her family deserve justice, and we will not let up until they have it!
Natalee's Freebirds