
Moises Frumencio da Costa Gomez - Willemstad, Curacao
Posted by:
Raven
N 12° 06.309 W 068° 56.031
19P E 507198 N 1338181
A larger-than-life bronze statue of Dr. Moises Frumencio da Costa Gomez, the first unofficial "Prime Minister" of the Netherlands Antilles, located in small plaza in downtown Willemstad, Curacao.
Waymark Code: WM1024Q
Location: Curaçao
Date Posted: 02/10/2019
Views: 3
This larger-than-life bronze statue of Dr. Moises Frumencio da Costa Gomez was unveiled in downtown Willemstad, Curacao in 1973. He is represented in business attire, standing up straight with his right hand stretched out as if giving a speech. The front of the base includes the following inscription (in Papiamentu, the local language of Curacao, as well as in a somewhat outdated Dutch):
"MR. DR.
MOISES FRUMENCIO
DA COSTA GOMEZ
27 OCT 1907 - 22 NOV 1966
CURACAO
NO HASI KU OTRO LOKE BO
NO TA DESEA KU OTRO HASI KU BO
DOE EENEN ANDER NIET
HETGEEN GIJ NIET WENSCHT
DAT AAN U GESCHIEDE"
(Loose English translation: "Don't do unto others as you wish they don't do unto you")
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Dr. Moises Frumencio da Costa Gomez (27 October 1907 – 22 November 1966) was the president of the first Governing Council (Regeringsraad) of the Netherlands Antilles and is often referred to as the first Prime Minister.
Da Costa Gomez, a lawyer by training, was a member of the Roman Catholic Party before founding the National People's Party in the 1940s. Da Costa Gomez was president of the first Governing Council (Regeringsraad) at the head of a coalition government with the Aruban People's Party (AVP) from 1951 to 1954, and is often referred to as the first Prime Minister of the Netherlands Antilles. His party negotiated full autonomy at the 1954 Roundtable Conference, involving the Netherlands and Suriname. Following the 1954 elections, the Democratic Party took over governing the Netherlands Antilles. Da Costa Gomez remained the leader of the National People's Party; he was succeeded in leadership by Juan Evertsz after his death in 1966.
Da Costa Gomez's doctoral thesis called for self-government and universal suffrage and inspired his followers as well as the Roman Catholic Party. Reforms led by Gomez led to legalization of "tambú" [local African-style Caribbean] music parties in 1952.
Source:
Wikipedia