Maria Liberia Peters
Encyclopedia
Maria Liberia Peters was the Prime Minister of the Netherlands Antilles from 1984 to 1986 and from 1988 to 1994.
Born Maria Peters in Willemstad
, Curaçao
, Netherlands Antilles
, she attended school and earned a teaching degree in the Netherlands. She later married Niels Liberia, a civil servant. Together they adopted two children.
Liberia Peters fell into politics almost accidentally. She was involved in children's issues alongside teaching as her main profession. She felt that going into politics was the only way to achieve substantial changes, saying, "There comes a moment when you realize that if you really want to make a difference, the only way is through politics, and then you walk right into it. In my own case, I thought. Well, I’ll try it, and if I don’t like it, I’ll say goodbye. But then you realize you’ve entered a one way street, and you remain because you are continually challenged."
Her road to politics began in the 1970s, when she started parents' groups and became a member of the National People's Party
. In 1975, after being encouraged by others to run for office, she earned a seat on the Curaçao Island Council where she stayed a member for the next five years. In 1982 she was appointed to the legislature of the Netherlands Antilles
and also became the Minister of Economic Affairs. After the coalition government she worked under collapsed in June 1984, she agreed to form a new coalition and was elected as Prime Minister, a position that she held from 1984-1986 and later from 1988-1994. She attempted a third run in 1994 but her party lost the election. She did however, remain in Parliament.
Prime Minister Maria Liberia Peters is a member of the Council of Women World Leaders
, an International network of current and former women presidents and prime ministers whose mission is to mobilize the highest-level women leaders globally for collective action on issues of critical importance to women and equitable development.
Born Maria Peters in Willemstad
Willemstad, Netherlands Antilles
Willemstad is the capital city of Curaçao, an island in the southern Caribbean Sea that forms a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Formerly the capital of the Netherlands Antilles prior to its dissolution in 2010, it has an estimated population of 140,000. The historic centre of...
, Curaçao
Curaçao
Curaçao is an island in the southern Caribbean Sea, off the Venezuelan coast. The Country of Curaçao , which includes the main island plus the small, uninhabited island of Klein Curaçao , is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
, 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...
, she attended school and earned a teaching degree in the Netherlands. She later married Niels Liberia, a civil servant. Together they adopted two children.
Liberia Peters fell into politics almost accidentally. She was involved in children's issues alongside teaching as her main profession. She felt that going into politics was the only way to achieve substantial changes, saying, "There comes a moment when you realize that if you really want to make a difference, the only way is through politics, and then you walk right into it. In my own case, I thought. Well, I’ll try it, and if I don’t like it, I’ll say goodbye. But then you realize you’ve entered a one way street, and you remain because you are continually challenged."
Her road to politics began in the 1970s, when she started parents' groups and became a member of the 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....
. In 1975, after being encouraged by others to run for office, she earned a seat on the Curaçao Island Council where she stayed a member for the next five years. In 1982 she was appointed to the legislature of the Netherlands Antilles
Estates of the Netherlands Antilles
The Estates of the Netherlands Antilles were the parliament of the Netherlands Antilles. They had 22 members, elected for a four year term in three multi-seat constuencies and 2 single-seat constuencies. On 10 October 2010 the Netherlands Antilles were dissolved, and so were their Estates.-2010...
and also became the Minister of Economic Affairs. After the coalition government she worked under collapsed in June 1984, she agreed to form a new coalition and was elected as Prime Minister, a position that she held from 1984-1986 and later from 1988-1994. She attempted a third run in 1994 but her party lost the election. She did however, remain in Parliament.
Prime Minister Maria Liberia Peters is a member of the Council of Women World Leaders
Council of Women World Leaders
The Council of Women World Leaders is a network of current and former women prime ministers and presidents established in 1996 by Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, President of Iceland and first woman in the world to be democratically elected president, and Laura Liswood, Secretary General...
, an International network of current and former women presidents and prime ministers whose mission is to mobilize the highest-level women leaders globally for collective action on issues of critical importance to women and equitable development.
