Aruba Prime Minister Mike Eman Hands AVP Leadership to Wendrick Cicilia
CARIBBEAN · ARUBA · POLITICS
Key Facts
- —The country Aruba is a Caribbean island of about 109,000 people off Venezuela and one of four countries in the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
- —The background Mike Eman, 65, has led the Aruban People’s Party (AVP) for about 25 years and is in his third term as prime minister.
- —Why now In June, Eman said he would hand over the party first and then leave the premiership on 1 January 2027.
- —What happened On Sunday 4 October, a packed party congress formally passed the AVP leadership to tourism minister Wendrick Cicilia.
- —Who is who Cicilia, 30 at the time of Eman’s June announcement, runs the ministry of tourism, transport and labour.
- —What it means for you Aruba’s government and its policies stay unchanged for now; the bigger shift comes when a new prime minister takes over.
- —Still open The AVP has not named its candidate for prime minister; Justice Minister Arthur Dowers is among the names mentioned.
Aruba’s prime minister, Mike Eman, handed the AVP leadership to tourism minister Wendrick Cicilia at a party congress on Sunday 4 October. The move ends about 25 years with Eman at the head of the Aruban People’s Party (AVP), the largest party in parliament.
It is a party post, not a government one. Eman stays prime minister until 1 January 2027, and the AVP has not yet said who will replace him in government.
A Party Handover, Not a Change of Government
Members and supporters filled the Grand Ballroom of the Aruba Marriott Resort for the congress, according to 24ora and Amigoe. The party called the occasion its “Era di Relevo”, Papiamento for an era of handing over to a new generation.
Eman had announced the date at a meeting at the party house in Rancho on Monday 28 September. He told supporters that after 25 years, the time had come for another generation to carry the AVP leadership.
His exit from government was announced earlier: in mid-June he said he would leave the premiership on 1 January 2027. Even coalition partner FUTURO was caught by surprise, Dutch broadcaster NOS reported.
Who Is Wendrick Cicilia
Cicilia serves as minister of tourism, transport and labour in the coalition between the AVP and the smaller FUTURO party.
He was 30 when Eman announced his departure in June, DutchNews and NL Times reported. Eman had publicly backed him as successor since January, according to NoticiaCla.
He is not new to the ballot. In the December 2024 election, Eman put Cicilia at the top of the AVP list and took the symbolic last slot himself.
Cicilia drew 4,894 personal votes in that election, according to 24ora. NoticiaCla reports that he earned a master’s degree in law from the University of Aruba in 2024.
In his acceptance speech, he promised to pair the party’s founding values with new ideas and accountability for results. “If part of Aruba is left behind, Aruba cannot truly progress,” he said, according to NoticiaCla.
Doubts About a Young Leader
Not everyone on the island is convinced. A NoticiaCla reader survey published on 2 October found 64.3% of 380 respondents judged Cicilia not yet ready for the AVP leadership.
The outlet stressed that the survey is not a weighted sample of voters. Some 55% of respondents also said the party leader should not automatically become prime minister.
NoticiaCla commentator Tito Laclé asked whether Cicilia can become a leader “in his own right” or will lean on party veterans. He also noted that Cicilia had been groomed for the role for some time.
A Family Party Since 1942
The AVP was founded in 1942 on Christian democratic principles, and the Eman family has shaped it from the start. Mike Eman’s father, Shon A Eman, and his older brother, Henny Eman, both led the party before him, 24ora recounts.
Henny Eman became Aruba’s first prime minister in 1986. Mike Eman himself led the government from 2009 to 2017 and returned to the post in March 2025.
In his farewell speech, Eman said he was stepping aside while he still had the health and energy to serve. Passing on the AVP leadership, he said, “does not mean losing experience”; he plans volunteer work with young people.
Aruba’s Place in the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Aruba lies about 29 kilometres north of Venezuela’s Paraguaná peninsula. It is one of four countries in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, alongside the Netherlands itself, Curaçao and Sint Maarten.
The island left the former Netherlands Antilles and became a separate country on 1 January 1986, known locally as “status aparte”. It elects its own 21-seat parliament and government and sets its own policy on tourism, health and employment.
The Kingdom, steered from The Hague, handles defence, foreign relations and Dutch nationality, so Arubans carry Dutch passports. King Willem-Alexander is head of state and is represented on the island by a governor.
Relations with the Netherlands carry real weight. A multi-year Dutch support package tied to reforms in Aruba runs until 2027, DutchNews reported.
Who Will Run the Government From January
Under the coalition deal with FUTURO, the premiership stays with the AVP, 24ora reported. The party council must approve the nominee, and the coalition holds a slim 12 of the 21 seats in parliament.
Names mentioned include Justice Minister Arthur Dowers, parliament speaker Marlon Sneek and AVP faction leader Jennifer Arends-Reyes. Dowers told NoticiaCla in August that he did not rule out a future bid.
For now, Cicilia takes over the AVP leadership without the premiership. Laclé warned that splitting the party chief and the prime minister between two people would demand a very clear division of power.
What It Means for Aruba’s Next Election
The last election, held early on 6 December 2024, was close. The AVP won nine of 21 seats with 32.2%, against eight for the opposition MEP with 31.7%.
The MEP, led by former prime minister Evelyn Wever-Croes, finished only about 300 votes behind, NOS reported. It has pushed for new elections, but no regular vote is due before late 2028.
That gives the new AVP leadership time to build its own profile before a campaign. NOS noted, however, that any strain between the AVP and FUTURO could open the door to talks between the MEP and FUTURO.
What Comes Next
The AVP must still choose its candidate for prime minister before Eman leaves office on 1 January 2027. Before that, the Kingdom’s four prime ministers meet at the first Kingdom Summit in Sint Maarten on 17 and 18 November.
The party change does not alter Aruba’s government, its coalition or its policies. Visitors and investors will see no immediate shift; the decision that matters is who leads the cabinet from January.
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Is Wendrick Cicilia now Aruba’s prime minister?
No. He took over the AVP leadership, which is a party post. Mike Eman stays prime minister until 1 January 2027. The AVP has not yet named his successor in government.
What is the AVP?
The Aruban People’s Party, or Arubaanse Volkspartij, is a Christian democratic party founded in 1942. It won the most seats in the December 2024 election and governs with the smaller FUTURO party.
Is Aruba part of the Netherlands?
Aruba is a separate country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, with its own parliament and government. The Kingdom handles defence, foreign relations and nationality, and Arubans hold Dutch passports.
When is Aruba’s next election?
Parliament is elected for four years, and the last vote was in December 2024. No regular election is due before late 2028 unless the coalition collapses first.
Sources: NoticiaCla, Eman hands over AVP leadership, 4 October 2026; NoticiaCla, Cicilia takes over AVP leadership, 4 October 2026; 24ora, AVP congress, 4 October 2026; 24ora, Eman farewell speech, 4 October 2026; 24ora English, Eman to hand over on 4 October, 29 September 2026; EA News, Cicilia takes over, 4 October 2026; NoticiaCla, reader survey, 2 October 2026; NoticiaCla, analysis, 29 September 2026; NOS, 16 June 2026; DutchNews, 17 June 2026; Government of the Netherlands, Kingdom responsibilities, accessed 5 October 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief