Carnival in Aruba … Police Want Night Clubs Closed Early to Prevent Violence like after Tourchlight Parade

In Aruba what do you get when you add Carnival, people, alcohol and night clubs staying open into the early hours of the morning? The answer according to the Aruban police is trouble. As the old saying goes … nothing good can come of things after 1 AM.

“The current situation can lead to problems during carnival”, said De Witte referring to the free-for-alls in the center of town after the Torchlight Parade. 

SPA has also mentioned the closing hours in the note to the corps leaders and Parliament members as a result of the shooting incident that killed a 19-year old boy and seriously injured a police officer.  The union says that some horeca-owners are pertinently neglecting the closing hours. 

SPA has learned that nightclub Bahia in the West Street is going to have a party before and after the Lighting Parade.  “To us, this is asking for trouble”, says SPA.  

This hardly seems to describe the situation when travel agencies try and market to tourists to head to the Caribbean for Carnival. Even more to the point for tourists, there is an obvious correlation to the dangers that can occur, the later you are out in the night clubs of Aruba. Buyer beware …

In her letter, SPA also refers to the irregularities during the turn of the year, when Oduber has given the horeca-sector permission to stay open till 06:00.  The police station in Oranjestad had to turn out at numerous occasions for stabbings, robberies, collisions, and reporting.

Police Union: ‘Nightclubs closed at 01:00’  (Amigoe, Jan. 18, 2008)

In order to avoid irregularities, like after the last Torchlight Parade, the nightclubs must close earlier, is the opinion of police union SPA.

ORANJESTAD – Police union SPA has sent a letter to Prime Minister Nelson Oduber objecting to the late closing hours of horeca-businesses.  SPA asks the premier to have the clubs in the center of town close at 01:00 during carnival activities.   

The letter was also sent to Justice-minister Rudy Croes, to all the parliamentary party-leaders, and to chief of police Peter de Witte, who already indicated in the Amigoe last week that he wants to discuss the closing hours with Oduber.  “The current situation can lead to problems during carnival”, said De Witte referring to the free-for-alls in the center of town after the Torchlight Parade. 

SPA has also mentioned the closing hours in the note to the corps leaders and Parliament members as a result of the shooting incident that killed a 19-year old boy and seriously injured a police officer.  The union says that some horeca-owners are pertinently neglecting the closing hours.  In order to guarantee the safety of citizens and police officers, the union wants the horeca-places to close at 01:00 during week nights and at 02:00 in the weekends. 

Due to understaffing in all the districts, SPA also wants the horeca-places to close at 01:00 in the weekends during the Aruba Tivoli Lighting Parade on January 26 and the Kimamento di Momo on February 5.  SPA has learned that nightclub Bahia in the West Street is going to have a party before and after the Lighting Parade.  “To us, this is asking for trouble”, says SPA.   

In her letter, SPA also refers to the irregularities during the turn of the year, when Oduber has given the horeca-sector permission to stay open till 06:00.  The police station in Oranjestad had to turn out at numerous occasions for stabbings, robberies, collisions, and reporting.

SPA also quotes the Torchlight Parade as an example, even thought the parade itself went very smooth.  The union is outraged though about the incidents after the parade.  The union blames this on the fact that many people stayed in town because the horeca-places stayed open till 04:00.  A total of 10 to 20 surveillants were present in the area where nightclub Bahia and Royal Plaza are and because of this, other districts were without police surveillance.