WILLEMSTAD – Employees of Eric’s ATV Adventures have formally raised concerns about the future of their jobs and the survival of the company, handing a letter to Prime Minister Gilmar Pisas amid fears that the business may be forced to close due to new development plans.
According to the employees, the uncertainty surrounding their employment is not new, but has escalated now that the land on which the buggy and quad company operates has become part of a large-scale tourism development project. The company has been based for approximately twenty years in Bapor Kibra, near Mambo Beach, where it built a loyal customer base and provided jobs for seventeen workers.
The employees state that despite the company’s long presence at the location, there are still no clear, formally documented agreements regarding its legal position on the land or its future. Through their letter, they aim to draw the government’s explicit attention to their concerns and the risk of imminent job losses.
The group says they were recently informed that their work is under threat and that no concrete solutions have yet been presented, while legal procedures are ongoing. The government has indicated that it respects the judicial process and is awaiting a court ruling expected on January 30.
Background to the dispute
Eric’s ATV Adventures originally began operating on land designated by Urban Planning Department, but the use of the site was never formally established through permits or documented property rights. As a result, the business operated for years in a tolerated, but legally vulnerable, position.
Pressure on the company increased when the land behind the operation was sold to a private developer for a luxury tourism project. The development plans require a wide access route to the site, precisely where the ATV and buggy business is currently located. In the meantime, water and electricity connections have reportedly been cut, and the area has been fenced off.
The company’s owner, Raphaela, filed a legal challenge against the eviction, but the case was recently dismissed on procedural grounds, without the court assessing the substantive arguments. According to the owner’s lawyer, this outcome highlights how exposed entrepreneurs can be when long-term use of land and verbal arrangements are never formally recorded.
Wider issue on the island
The situation facing Eric’s ATV Adventures reflects a broader issue on Curaçao, where multiple entrepreneurs and long-term users of government-owned land face similar uncertainty. In many cases, land has been used for years without formal legal arrangements. When new developments or infrastructure projects emerge, questions arise over rights, management, and the continuity of existing activities.
This has led to criticism of policies that allow prolonged informal use of land without providing legal certainty to those involved. Although discussions between the owner of Eric’s and the government are planned, it remains unclear how the interests of large-scale development can be balanced with the rights and livelihoods of affected workers and businesses.
