Betico Croes, a schoolteacher who became a political leader, led Aruba toward “Status Aparte,” which took effect on January 1, 1986. This status separates the island from the Netherlands Antilles and makes it a separate country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Betico Croes was the architect of this status, but an accident the day before left him in a coma from which he never awoke.
Every January 25, Aruba pauses to honor Betico Croes. An official ceremony is held in the square named after him, Plaza Libertador G.F. Betico Croes. There, the national anthem is sung, wreaths are laid, and poems are recited. The governor attends, along with the family and the prime minister. This holiday, Dia di Betico, honors the man whom Arubans call their liberator. In 2026, it has special significance, as Aruba celebrates the 40th anniversary of its Status Aparte and the 50th anniversary of its national symbols.
Betico Croes, a schoolteacher from Santa Cruz who became a party leader
Gilberto François Croes was born on January 25, 1938, in Santa Cruz, Aruba. He became a schoolteacher after studying to become a teacher in the Netherlands. In 1967, he entered politics as a member of the AVP party. He left the party and, in 1971, founded the Movimiento Electoral di Pueblo (MEP). At the time, Aruba was part of the Netherlands Antilles, a group of six islands with a government based in Curaçao. Betico Croes’s cause revolved around a single idea: to secure a distinct status for Aruba.
1976: A Flag and an Anthem for an Island That Sees Itself as a Nation
In March 1976, Aruba adopted a flag and an anthem, “Aruba Dushi Tera,” which literally means “Aruba, sweet land.” The Dutch government had just refused to negotiate a separate status for the island. Betico Croes then championed this project for national symbols. They are merely colors and notes, but they already mark an invisible boundary. The island asserted that it was no longer merely a part of a larger entity governed from Curaçao. Fifty years later, these two emblems remain those of Aruba.
1977: A referendum, followed by a strike, forced The Hague to listen
On March 25, 1977, the people of Aruba voted in a referendum on independence. A large majority of the votes cast supported independence. The conflict then intensified. The MEP was excluded from the formation of the government of the Netherlands Antilles, and then two labor union leaders were arrested on August 10, 1977.
August 11–18, 1977: Aruba at a Standstill
On August 11, 1977, a general strike brought Aruba to a standstill. There were power outages everywhere, water service was cut off in several areas, and the airport closed. Riot police from Curaçao clashed with protesters, using tear gas. The strike ended on August 18, after the union leaders were released. In September 1977, an Aruban delegation met with Dutch Prime Minister Den Uyl. The Aruba issue was then brought before The Hague.
Status Aparte: A Decade of Success
Negotiations continued in the wake of the strike. In 1981, Betico Croes set a target of independence by 1991. The 1983 Round Table Conference led to another agreement. Aruba obtained its “Status Aparte” on January 1, 1986, with independence scheduled for 1996. This deadline was ultimately abandoned in the early 1990s, at Aruba’s request, and the status became permanent. Therein lies the paradox. The struggle for independence produced an autonomous country that remained part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
December 31, 1985, the day before the big day
On December 31, 1985, Betico Croes was involved in a serious car accident. He fell into a coma. The next day, January 1, 1986, Aruba became a separate country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the third autonomous country in the Kingdom. Betico Croes died on November 26, 1986, in a Dutch hospital, without ever regaining consciousness.
What Betico Croes Leaves Behind in Aruba Today
The people of Aruba also call him the father of the nation. The phrase they attribute to Betico Croes has remained famous: “Si mi cai na caminda, gara e bandera y sigui cu e lucha. ” In English, “If I fall along the way, take the flag and continue the fight.” It is often quoted every January 25. Aruba is no longer the only one to enjoy such status. Since October 2010, Curaçao and Sint Maarten are also autonomous countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Yet the “Status Aparte” remains unique to Aruba, born of a local struggle rather than a reform imposed from outside.
One question remains. What does it mean to be a country apart, forty years after the Status Aparte?
Frequently Asked Questions About Betico Croes
Betico Croes, whose full name was Gilberto François Croes (1938–1986), was a schoolteacher and politician from Aruba. He founded the MEP in 1971 and was the main architect of the “Status Aparte.”
“Status Aparte” is Aruba’s legal status, which has been in effect since January 1, 1986. It separated the island from the Netherlands Antilles and made it an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Dia di Betico is celebrated every January 25, Betico Croes’s birthday. It is a public holiday in Aruba.
