The Compassionate State
“His eyes fixate on the daunting stairs that lie ahead, leading to the scaffold. The executioner awaits him at the top. Nine steps separate him from death.”
Etienne Ys was born (1962) and raised in Curaçao. He obtained his master's degree in tax law in the Netherlands.Upon returning to Curaçao, he embarked on a twelve-year political career after a brief stint at the tax office. During this period, he held positions such as Minister of Finance and Prime Minister. After his political career, he started working in the financial sector for several years. And after that, he has been an independent consultant for some years now. Throughout his career, he has held various (supervisory) director’s roles in both the public and private sectors. In addition to his professional endeavors, Etienne Ys has been actively involved as a volunteer, serving as a general advisor for the Collaborative Funds. These are Dutch charitable foundations that subsidize projects in the Dutch Caribbean islands. Furthermore, Etienne Ys takes great pride in being the founder and chairman of Fundashon Tur Ta Konta (Foundation Every Child Counts), an organization that helps children with mathematics. In his younger years, Etienne Ys was known for his dancing skills. He performed and instructed in folkloric and Latin American dances, including the Argentinian Tango. He hopes to soon pick up that hobby again. Lastly, Etienne Ys aspires to add another accomplishment to his resume: that of a novelist.
“His eyes fixate on the daunting stairs that lie ahead, leading to the scaffold. The executioner awaits him at the top. Nine steps separate him from death.”