Aruba: Protest against the Choller Problem again … Why no Protests Ever for Natalee Holloway?

The Aruban protests against the Choller problem on their island continues. In all the Aruban travel brochures, web sites and ATA information we have yet to hear them talk about the “choller” problem and inform  the unsuspecting tourist. If the “choller” problem warrants people protesting in the street one would think that the traveling tourist would need to know of the potential risk.

(What the protest should have looked like)

The protesters are not sure whether this protest will help, because the problem with the chollers is too big …

What is more problematic to Aruba is that these protests show that Arubans are willing to go out and protest against certain issues they deem important. Some how the issue of “chollers” is important enough to protest, yet the manner in how the Natalee Holloway disappearance was handled and its negative effects on Aruba’s image and economy  and in turn Arubans was not. Chollers are an inconvenience? As compared to what, an economy that had declined in the past two years vs the rest  of the Caribbean that saw increases? All resulting following Natalee’s disappearance and the manner in how the investigation was handled. An image by many that still exists today.

… this second one focused more on the inconvenience of the chollers.   The protesters want the government to tackle this problem as soon as possible, by moving the relief center Dak riba Cabez elsewhere, away from the center of town.  

The protesters are not sure whether this protest will help, because the problem with the chollers is too big, and it won’t go away by itself.   But if nothing happens, the protesters will hit the street again.

Amigoe; Wednesday 25, 2007: Protest against the choller problem again    

A group of concerned citizens protested for the second time in a short period of time the inconvenience of chollers that according to them have increased enormously.

ORANJESTAD – A second protest march for Michael Saladin and against the choller problem took place on Monday afternoon.   The march started in front of the court house and finished at the parliamentary building, where Chairman Mervin Wyatt-Ras accepted a petition from Eveline ‘Lienchi’ Merryweather, who led the protest march.          

The first protest was more an expression of support for Saladin and this second one focused more on the inconvenience of the chollers.   The protesters want the government to tackle this problem as soon as possible, by moving the relief center Dak riba Cabez elsewhere, away from the center of town.  

The protesters are not sure whether this protest will help, because the problem with the chollers is too big, and it won’t go away by itself.   But if nothing happens, the protesters will hit the street again.   Nobody knows how many chollers are currently wandering the streets.   The Centro di Informacion pa Asuntonan di Droga is since February busy inventorying.   This is actually the first time that the number of chollers is being counted.

How many protesters have signed the petition is not known.   The police say that there were more than 100 people at the start of the march and most of them have signed the petition right there.   When she accepted the petition, Wyatt-Ras said that she “will communicate the concern of the protesters to the parliament members”.   She emphasized that a solution for the problem is bigger than just tackling the inconvenience in the town center.   It is more important to do more against the selling of drugs and more attention must be paid in the schools to prevent young people from using drugs at a young age.