Alfonso Boekhoudt
Juan Alfonso Boekhoudt is an Aruban politician who is the 4th governor of Aruba, serving since January 2017. He was Minister Plenipotentiary of Aruba from 14 November 2013 to 17 November 2016. He has been Governor since 1 January 2017.Career
Boekhoudt has served as director of the Aruba Ports Authority. He also served as the Chairman of the Aruba Red Cross.
He was appointed as Minister Plenipotentiary of Aruba per 13 November 2013, he succeeded Edwin Abath. Boekhoudt was succeeded by Juan David Yrausquin on 17 November 2016.In October 2016, the Council of Ministers of the Kingdom of the Netherlands appointed Boekhoudt as Governor of Aruba per January 1, 2017. He was nominated by the Dutch Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, Ronald Plasterk.
The move drew criticism from the government of Prime Minister Eman, which stated that the rules of the Council of Ministers of the Kingdom regarding gubernatorial appointments had not been followed. With the Aruban cabinet wishing that the appointment was reversed. The Dutch Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations stated that the rules had been followed. The Aruban cabinet had nominated Finance Minister Angel Bermudez for the position.
The Aruban cabinet subsequently withdrew confidence in Boekhoudt, forcing him to resign as Minister Plenipotentiary of Aruba per 1 November 2016. On 18 October the conflict between Eman and Plasterk was settled, with Eman accepting the appointment of Boekhoudt, with the parties jointly declaring that the process was not handled perfectly.
