{{Short description|Dutch Antillean politician}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Frits Goedgedrag | caption = | order = | office = Governor of Curaçao | term_start = 10 October 2010 | term_end = 22 October 2012 | monarch = Beatrix | predecessor = ''Position established'' | successor = Lucille George-Wout | office2 = Governor of the Netherlands Antilles | term_start2 = 2002 | term_end2 = 2010 | monarch2 = Beatrix | predecessor2 = Jaime Saleh | successor2 = ''Position abolished'' | office3 = Lieutenant Governor of Bonaire | term_start3 = 1992 | term_end3 = 1998 | monarch3 = Beatrix | predecessor3 = George G.A Soliana | successor3 = Richard R.N Hart | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1951|11|1|df=y}} | birth_place = Aruba | birth_name = Frits Martinus de los Santos Goedgedrag | party = | spouse = Dulcie Terborg | partner = | relations = | children = 3 | alma_mater = | occupation = | profession = | cabinet = | committees = | portfolio = | signature = | website = | footnotes = }} '''Frits Martinus de los Santos Goedgedrag''' (born 1 November 1951 in Aruba) is a Dutch Antillean politician who was the first governor of Curaçao following the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles.<ref>RNW.nl - [http://www.rnw.nl/caribiana/article/gouverneurs-voor-curacao-en-sint-maarten Gouverneurs voor Curaçao en Sint Maarten] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110120003916/http://www.rnw.nl/caribiana/article/gouverneurs-voor-curacao-en-sint-maarten |date=20 January 2011}}</ref> He was governor of the Netherlands Antilles from 2002 to 2010 and during his tenure, he oversaw the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles and Curaçao becoming a constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. He took up the post of governor of Curaçao in 2010 but resigned for health reasons in 2012 after suffering heart problems. In 2013 he was appointed to serve on the Dutch Council of State and has since served as mediators and sat on commissions and committees relating to the Caribbean Netherlands.
==Governor roles== From 1992 to 1998, Goedgedrag was lieutenant governor of Bonaire. He succeeded Jaime Saleh in 2002 to become the governor of the Netherlands Antilles and remained in this post until the dissolution of the Antilles in 2010. He refused to name the 2003 Curaçao general election party leader as formateur, citing a criminal investigation. Goedgedrag instead appointed Mirna Louisa-Godett as formateur.<ref>{{cite news |title=Governor Goedgedrag submits his resignation |url=http://www.dutchcaribbeanlegalportal.com/news/movers-shakers/79-a-new-challenge/2533-gouverneur-curacao-vraagt-ontslag |access-date=7 December 2021 |publisher=Dutch Caribbean Legal Portal |date=October 22, 2012}}</ref> On 10 October 2010 Goedgedrag bceame the first Governor of Curaçao.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Zaken |first1=Ministerie van Algemene |title=Koningin beëdigt gouverneurs Sint Maarten en Curaçao, 30 september 2010 |url=https://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/actueel/nieuws/2010/09/30/koningin-beedigt-gouverneurs-sint-maarten-en-cura-ao-30-september-2010 |access-date=16 May 2026 |work=Dutch Royal Household |date=29 September 2010 |language=nl}}</ref> In May 2012 he criticised a decision by the cabinet of Curaçao to relocate the island's civil registry to the former St Thomas College, citing cost and security concerns.<ref>{{cite news |title=Gouverneur en regering hebben ruzie over Kranshi |url=https://knipselkrant-curacao.com/nieuws/gouverneur-en-regering-hebben-ruzie-over-kranshi |access-date=16 May 2026 |work=knipselkrant-curacao.com |date=31 May 2012 |language=nl}}</ref>
Goedgedrag left Curacao on 27 September 2012 for urgent medical treatment due to heart problems. He sustained no permanent damage but resigned the position for health reasons on 22 October.<ref>{{cite news |title=Oud-gouverneur Frits Goedgedrag naar de Raad van State |url=https://caribischnetwerk.ntr.nl/2013/05/17/oud-gouverneur-frits-goedgedrag-naar-de-raad-van-state/ |access-date=16 May 2026 |work=Caribisch Netwerk |date=17 May 2013 |language=nl-NL}}</ref> At his farewell ceremony he was knighted as a Commander in the Order of Orange-Nassau.<ref>{{cite news |title=Goedgedrag knighted |url=https://antilliaansdagblad.com/nieuws-menu/6083-plasterk-hangt-goedgedrag-lintje-om#:~:text=De%20minister%20van%20Koninkrijksrelaties%20Ronald,de%20Orde%20van%20Oranje%2DNassau. |work=Antiliaans Dagblaad |date=29 November 2012}}</ref> A replacement governor, Lucille George-Wout, was appointed to take the post on 4 November.<ref>{{cite news |title=Lucille George-Wout nieuwe gouverneur Curaçao |url=https://caribischnetwerk.ntr.nl/2013/11/01/lucille-george-wout-nieuwe-gouverneur-curacao/ |access-date=16 May 2026 |work=Caribisch Netwerk |date=1 November 2013 |language=nl-NL}}</ref>
== Later career == In May 2013, Goedgedrag was appointed to the Council of State for extraordinary service to the special municipalities of Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba. In June 2013, he was appointed to the Council of Advice of Aruba.<ref>{{cite web |title=Goedgedrag appointed to Raad van Advies Aruba |url=https://rva.aw/rva/nieuwe-leden-voor-de-raad-van-advies/ |website=RVA |access-date=13 June 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Goededrag appointed to Raad van State |url=https://www.telegraaf.nl/nieuws/1107510/de-los-santos-goedgedrag-bij-raad-van-state |work=De Telegraaf}}</ref> In April 2015 Goedgedrag was appointed to mediate between the Scholengemeenschap Bonaire (educational board) and the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, after disputes following a critical report by education inspectors.<ref>{{cite news |title=Frits Goedgedrag bemiddelaar SGB en OCW |url=https://caribischnetwerk.ntr.nl/2015/04/09/frits-goedgedrag-bemiddelaar-sgb-en-ocw/ |access-date=16 May 2026 |work=Caribisch Netwerk |date=9 April 2015 |language=nl-NL}}</ref> In June 2020 he was appointed to sit on a Dutch special committee to promote dialogue about the country's history in slavery and the slave trade and to promote reconciliation.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Pascoe |first1=Robin |title=As Keti Koti is celebrated, the Netherlands is slowly facing up to its slavery past |url=https://www.dutchnews.nl/2020/07/as-keti-koti-is-celebrated-the-netherlands-is-slowly-facing-up-to-its-slavery-past/ |access-date=16 May 2026 |work=DutchNews.nl |date=1 July 2020}}</ref> Goedgedrag left the State Council in December 2021.<ref>{{cite news |title=Council of State bids farewell to Frits Goedgedrag |url=https://www.bonaire.nu/nieuws/nieuws-uit-nederland/22700/raad-van-state-neemt-afscheid-van-frits-goedgedrag |access-date=16 May 2026 |work=Bonaire.nu |date=17 December 2021}}</ref>
In March 2025 Goedgedrag chaired the first meeting of the Caribbean Netherlands Healthcare Commission. The body was working to implement recommendations made by the State Secretary for Health, Welfare and Sport and to bring the level of healthcare in the islands up to the standards of the European part of the Netherlands.<ref>{{cite news |title=Toekomst van Caribische zorg besproken tijdens eerste commissieoverleg op Bonaire |url=https://nu.cw/2025/04/04/toekomst-van-caribische-zorg-besproken-tijdens-eerste-commissieoverleg-op-bonaire/ |access-date=16 May 2026 |work=nu.CW |date=4 April 2025 |language=nl-NL}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Breel |first1=Ellen |title=Commissie Zorg Caribisch Nederland houdt eerste bijeenkomst op Bonaire |url=https://www.bonaire.nu/nieuws/gezondheidszorg/31360/commissie-zorg-caribisch-nederland-houdt-eerste-bijeenkomst-op-bonaire |access-date=16 May 2026 |work=Bonaire.nu |date=5 April 2025}}</ref> The report of the commission was submitted to the Dutch House of Representatives in April 2026 and made recommendations for thorough reforms to the administration of healthcare in the Caribbean Netherlands.<ref>{{cite news |title=Commissie: Zorgstelsel Caribisch Nederland moet stevig op de schop |url=https://dossierkoninkrijksrelaties.nl/2026/04/22/commissie-zorgstelsel-caribisch-nederland-moet-stevig-op-de-schop/ |access-date=16 May 2026 |date=22 April 2026 |language=nl-NL}}</ref> In August 2025 Goedgedrag was appointed to chair the Vishon 2050 Commission, which aimed to establish a masterplan for Bonaire to 2050.<ref>{{cite news |title=Commissie Vishon 2050 moet toekomstvisie Bonaire opstellen |url=https://www.bonaire.nu/nieuws/bonaire/78081/commissie-moet-toekomstvisie-bonaire-2050-opstellen |access-date=16 May 2026 |work=Bonaire.nu |date=12 August 2025}}</ref>
==References== <references />
{{s-start}} {{s-off}} {{s-bef|before=George Albert Soliana}} {{s-ttl|title=Lieutenant Governor of Bonaire|years=1992–1998}} {{s-aft|after=Richard Nelson Hart}} {{s-bef|before=Jaime Saleh}} {{s-ttl|title=Governor of the Netherlands Antilles|years=2002–2010}} {{s-aft|after=Position abolished}} {{s-bef|before=Position established}} {{s-ttl|title=Governor of Curaçao|years=2010–2012}} {{s-aft|after=Adèle van der Pluijm-Vrede<br><small>Acting</small>}} {{end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Goedgedrag, Frits}} Category:1951 births Category:Aruban politicians Category:Living people Category:Governors of Curaçao Category:Lieutenant governors of Bonaire Category:Governors of the Netherlands Antilles