WILLEMSTAD — Former Minister of Finance and current Member of Parliament Javier Silvania is reportedly facing growing scrutiny over his continued absence from parliamentary duties, following reports that he was recently seen in the Surinamese capital Paramaribo.
According to a local Dutch-language newspaper, Silvania was allegedly spotted last weekend at a supermarket in Paramaribo. The newspaper published a photo showing a man who strongly resembles the MP, although it noted that full certainty about his identity cannot be established. Silvania himself has remained unreachable for comment, with his WhatsApp phone reportedly switched off.
Since being sworn in as a member of the Curaçao Parliament on behalf of the MFK, Silvania has not appeared at any parliamentary session. On Tuesday, he was again absent from a meeting in which Prime Minister Gilmar Pisas addressed lawmakers on the island’s security situation and regional developments, as well as from the regular parliamentary meeting later that day.
After more than two months without public appearances, Silvania briefly resurfaced around Christmas through a Facebook post and a New Year’s message sent to his WhatsApp contacts. Since then, however, he has once again become completely unreachable. According to reports, even the MFK parliamentary faction leader is unaware of Silvania’s current whereabouts, despite repeated attempts to establish contact.
The prolonged absence has led to increasing criticism from members of different parliamentary factions, who question the continued lack of visibility and participation by an elected representative. In response to the criticism, Prime Minister Pisas has stated that Silvania should be given time to rest and recover mentally.
Silvania’s continued absence from Parliament, combined with uncertainty surrounding his situation, has fueled debate about accountability and representation, as questions persist over when — or if — the MP will resume his parliamentary duties.