Ben Whiteman

Bernard "Ben" Denzil Whiteman (born 20 August 1954) is a Curaçaoan politician who served as the 5th Prime Minister of Curaçao from September 2015 to December 2016. He also was the Minister of Public Health, Environment and Nature since 31 December 2012 in the Asjes-Cabinet and the Hodge-Cabinet before taking the post, retaining the position after becoming prime minister.

Early life
Bernad Denzil Whiteman was born on 20 August 1954.

Early political career
On 31 December 2012 Whiteman became Minister of Public Health, Environment and Nature in the cabinet of Daniel Hodge. In April 2013, as Minister of the Environment, he stated he wished for Curaçao to join the Dutch Caribbean Exclusive Economic Zone. He retained his position in the cabinet of Ivar Asjes.

In February 2016, Whiteman stated that in 2014 he was nearly assassinated while sitting on his balcony.

First Whiteman cabinet
Whiteman was sworn in as prime minister on 1 September 2015. He succeeded Ivar Asjes, who resigned after he lost the confidence of his party. Whiteman took on the post of prime minister with the intent of staying in office for three months, to allow his party to search for a successor. Whiteman retained the ministerial position he held in the Hodge and Ajses cabinets after becoming prime minister. On 29 October 2015, it was announced Whiteman would stay on until the 2016 elections. The Whiteman Cabinet resigned on 9 November 2015 after losing the parliamentary majority when Marilyn Moses withdrew her support. One week later, Whiteman announced he had formed a new coalition, with the entry of the Party for the Restructured Antilles (PAR) into the coalition. The PAR held two seats in the Estates and was allowed to designate the new Minister for the Economy. The new cabinet began to function on 30 November 2015.

Second Whiteman cabinet
Source:

A fourth report on the functioning of the Curaçaohuis, the office of the Minister Plenipotentiary of Curaçao, Marvelyne Wiels, was highly critical. The report, and the fact that it had yet not been shared with the Estates of Curaçao, led coalition parties in the Second Whiteman cabinet to voice severe criticism in July 2016. Alex Rosaria, leader of the Partido pa Adelanto I Inovashon Soshal, called the issue "a dark cloud over the Whiteman cabinet". The leader of the PAR, Zita Jesus-Leito, asked for the voluntary resignation or Wiels or else her dismissal by Whiteman.

In November 2016 he faced criticism after several Ministers signed financial agreements although they were not allowed to do so, public servants who voiced criticism were transferred or faced displinary action.

Whiteman's successor as prime minister, Hensley Koeiman, was sworn in on 23 December 2016.

Post Prime Minister
In October 2018, Whiteman succeeded Jaime Córdoba as leader of Pueblo Soberano. As of August 2023 he remained leader of the party although it was no longer represented in the Parliament of Curaçao.