Juancho Evertsz whose full name was Juan Miguel Gregorio Evertsz, was a Dutch Antillean

Netherlands Antilles

The Netherlands Antilles , also referred to informally as the Dutch Antilles, was an autonomous Caribbean country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, consisting of two groups of islands in the Lesser Antilles: Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao , in Leeward Antilles just off the Venezuelan coast; and Sint...

 politician

Politician

A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...

 who served as the Prime Minister of the Netherlands Antilles between 1973 and 1977.

Evertsz was one of the founding members and leaders of the Antilles National People's Party

National People's Party (Curaçao)

The National People's Party is a christian democratic political party in Curaçao, the Netherlands Antilles....

, which is also known by the abbreviation, NVP. He openly opposed a plan to separate Aruba

Aruba

Aruba is a 33 km-long island of the Lesser Antilles in the southern Caribbean Sea, located 27 km north of the coast of Venezuela and 130 km east of Guajira Peninsula...

 from the Netherlands Antilles

Netherlands Antilles

The Netherlands Antilles , also referred to informally as the Dutch Antilles, was an autonomous Caribbean country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, consisting of two groups of islands in the Lesser Antilles: Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao , in Leeward Antilles just off the Venezuelan coast; and Sint...

 as a separate, autonomous entity within the Kingdom of the Netherlands

Kingdom of the Netherlands

The Kingdom of the Netherlands is a sovereign state and constitutional monarchy with territory in Western Europe and in the Caribbean. The four parts of the Kingdom—Aruba, Curaçao, the Netherlands, and Sint Maarten—are referred to as "countries", and participate on a basis of equality...

 during his tenure as Prime Minister. Evertsz argued that the removal of Aruba from the Netherlands Antilles would undermine the federation of Dutch islands in the Caribbean

Caribbean

The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...

. Aruba later seceded from the Netherlands Antilles in 1986, but remained within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Evertsz also openly clashed with Dutch Prime Minister Joop den Uyl

Joop den Uyl

Johannes Marten den Uijl, known as Joop den Uyl was a Dutch politician of the Labour Party . He served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from May 11, 1973 until December 19, 1977....

 and the Dutch Labour Party

Labour Party (Netherlands)

The Labour Party , is a social-democratic political party in the Netherlands. Since the 2003 Dutch General Election, the PvdA has been the second largest political party in the Netherlands. The PvdA was a coalition member in the fourth Balkenende cabinet following 22 February 2007...

 when the Uyl proposed full independence for the Netherlands Antilles. Evertsz vehemently opposed the proposal.

Juancho Evertsz died on Curaçao on April 30, 2008, at the age of 85, leaving behind his wife, two sons (Dennis and Kenneth) and one daughter (Sharline).

External links

• Radio Netherlands: Juancho Evertsz dies (Papiamento)