WILLEMSTAD – The court has ruled that influencer and activist Lon Mutueel must retract a series of allegations he made on social media against Ricardo Daal, founder and chairman of New Creation Curaçao, an organization that provides shelter and rehabilitation for psychosocially vulnerable individuals.
Mutueel, who frequently comments online about social and political issues, published several Facebook posts accusing Daal of shouting at clients, mistreating them, intimidating staff and residents, abusing power, and issuing threats. In later posts and a video, he escalated those accusations, alleging hidden cameras, drug use, disrespectful behavior toward women and improper use of subsidy funds.
Mutueel spent part of his youth under supervision and lived at the foundation. In both 2022 and 2025 he applied for internship positions at New Creation Curaçao as part of his studies but was not accepted.
According to the court, Mutueel made his accusations without giving Daal the opportunity to respond and without providing sufficient evidence. Daal presented nine written statements that contradicted the allegations and supported his defense.
The court concluded that Mutueel’s statements were unlawful. He has been ordered to publish a retraction on his Facebook page and to remove the disputed posts. If he fails to comply, he will face a penalty of 1,000 guilders per day, up to a maximum of 50,000 guilders.
The ruling underscores the responsibility of public figures and influencers to verify claims before sharing them with a wide audience, especially when reputational harm is at stake.