Moises Frumencio da Costa Gomez
Netherlands Antillean politician (1907–1966)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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]
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Moises da Costa Gomez | |
|---|---|
Da Costa Gomez in 1960 | |
| 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 | 27 October 1907 |
| Died | 22 November 1966 (aged 59) Willemstad, Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles |
| Party | National People's Party |
| Spouse | Lucina da Costa Gomez |
Biography
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]