Moises da Costa Gomez | |
---|---|
1st Prime Minister of the Netherlands Antilles | |
In office 18 April 1951 – 15 December 1954 | |
Monarch | Juliana |
Preceded by | Office established |
Succeeded by | Efraïn Jonckheer |
Personal details | |
Born | Otrobanda, Curaçao, Curaçao and Dependencies | 27 October 1907
Died | 22 November 1966 (aged 59) Willemstad, Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles |
Political party | National People's Party |
Spouse | Lucina da Costa Gomez |
Moises Frumencio da Costa Gomez (27 October 1907 – 22 November 1966) was the president of the first Governing Council of the Netherlands Antilles and the first Prime Minister of the Netherlands Antilles. [1] [2] [3]
Da Costa Gomez was born on 27 October 1907 in Curaçao. At the age of 15, he was given a scholarship to the Netherlands. In 1932, he graduated his law studies at the Radboud University Nijmegen. In 1935, he received his doctorate at the University of Amsterdam. [4]: 194
Da Costa Gomez was like John Horris Sprockel a member of the Roman Catholic Party. He founded the National People's Party in the 1940s. [5] Da Costa Gomez was president of the first Governing Council (Regeringsraad) at the head of a coalition government with the Aruban People's Party (AVP) from 1951 to 1954, [4]: 196 and is often referred to as the first Prime Minister of the Netherlands Antilles. [6] [7]
His party negotiated full autonomy at the 1954 Roundtable Conference, involving the Netherlands and Suriname. [8] Following the 1954 elections, the Democratic Party took over governing the Netherlands Antilles. [5] Da Costa Gomez remained the leader of the National People's Party; he was succeeded in leadership by Juan Evertsz after his death in 1966. [5]
Da Costa Gomez's doctoral thesis called for self-government and universal suffrage and inspired his followers as well as the Roman Catholic Party. [8] Reforms led by Gomez led to legalization of tambú music parties in 1952. [9] In 1973 a statue of the statesman was unveiled in the center of the Curaçao capital Willemstad. [2]
He is buried in a monument at the Morada Santa in Bottelier. [10]