{{Short description|Aruban politician (born 1942)}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Olindo Koolman | image = | alt = | caption = | office1 = 2nd Governor of Aruba | term_start1 = 29 January 1992 | term_end1 = 11 August 2004 | predecessor2 = Felipe Tromp | successor2 = Fredis Refunjol | monarch2 = Beatrix | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1942|4|15|df=y}} | birth_place = Aruba | death_date = | death_place = | other_names = | occupation = civil servant and administrator | party = | years_active = | known_for = | notable_works = | spouse = }} '''Olindo Koolman''' (born 15 April 1942) was an Aruban politician who served as the second governor of Aruba<ref name="sacaca">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o9ODxqsr-dIC&pg=PA103 |title=South America, Central America and the Caribbean, 2002 |date=2001 |publisher=Europa Publications |isbn=1-85743-121-9 |edition=10th |location=London |pages=103–}}</ref> and served two terms of six years as governor from 29 January 1992 until 11 August 2004.
==Biography== Koolman was born on 15 April 1942 in Aruba. He studied law, and in 1966 became a civil servant in the taxation office.<ref name="bio">{{cite news|url=https://www.delpher.nl/nl/kranten/view?query=koolman+15+april+1942&coll=ddd&identifier=ddd:010644318:mpeg21:a0003&resultsidentifier=ddd:010644318:mpeg21:a0003&rowid=1 |title=Koolman vanaf heden gouverneur van Aruba|website=Amigoe di Curacao |date=29 January 1992 |access-date=13 February 2022|language=nl}}</ref> Koolman was a member of the commission which prepared the ''status aparte'' of Aruba in which the island became a constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/1992/03/07/gouverneur-wil-snel-duidelijkheid-over-status-aparte-7135526-a136469 |title=Gouverneur wil snel duidelijkheid over Status Aparte |website=NRC Handelsblad |date=7 March 1992 |access-date=13 February 2022 |language=nl |url-access=subscription}}</ref> In 1986 he started working as an inspector of customs and excise.<ref name="alm">{{cite book |last1=East |first1=Roger |title=Whitaker's almanack world heads of state, 1998 |date=1998 |publisher=The Stationery Office |location=London |isbn=978-0-11-702204-1 |page=14 |url=https://archive.org/details/whitakersalmanac0000east/page/14/mode/2up?q=koolman |access-date=21 June 2025}}</ref>
On 29 January 1992, he became governor of Aruba and served until 11 August 2004.<ref name="bio"/> His candidacy was disputed because he had not been involved in Aruban politics previously.<ref>{{cite news |title=Gouverneur wil snel duidelijkheid over Status Aparte |url=https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/1992/03/07/gouverneur-wil-snel-duidelijkheid-over-status-aparte-7135526-a136469 |access-date=21 June 2025 |work=NRC |date=7 March 1992 |archive-date=21 June 2025 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250621230857/https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/1992/03/07/gouverneur-wil-snel-duidelijkheid-over-status-aparte-7135526-a136469 |url-status=bot: unknown }}</ref> Following his swearing in, Koolman stressed the importance of human rights, protection of the environment, and prosecution of the war against drug trafficking as his main goals.<ref name="alm" /> In 1997 he vetoed a proposed MEP-OLA cabinet in September, and rejected prospective financial minister Carlos Mansur.<ref>{{cite book |title=Caribbean Insight |date=1997 |publisher=Goodyear Gibbs (Caribbean) |page=5 |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Caribbean_Insight/FRIWAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=%22Olindo+Koolman%22&dq=%22Olindo+Koolman%22&printsec=frontcover |access-date=21 June 2025 |language=en}}</ref> In late 1998 to 1999, a dispute arose over whether candidate minister Glenbert Croes, the head of the opposition party Aruban Liberal Organization, could become a minister in his cabinet.<ref name="1998a">{{cite news |title=Koninkrijksregering beziet of Croes minister kan worden |url=https://www.trouw.nl/voorpagina/koninkrijksregering-beziet-of-croes-minister-kan-worden~bcdc5934/ |access-date=21 June 2025 |work=Trouw |date=9 June 1998}}</ref> Koolman refused the appointment because Croes was the subject of a criminal investigation on fraud.<ref name="1998a" /> Koolman submitted the case to the Council of State.<ref name="1998a" /> In 1999 again refused to appoint him as Minister of Transport and Communications.<ref>{{cite news |title=Spanning om ministersbenoeming Aruba |url=https://www.volkskrant.nl/nieuws-achtergrond/spanning-om-ministersbenoeming-aruba~b0263b5c/?referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fnl.wikipedia.org%2F |access-date=21 June 2025 |work=Volksrant |date=29 September 1998}}</ref>
Since April 2004 he has created a foundation under his name, which was later included in the Paradise Papers.<ref>{{cite web |title=STICHTING GOUVERNEUR MR OLINDO KOOLMAN {{!}} ICIJ Offshore Leaks Database |url=https://offshoreleaks.icij.org/nodes/85032673 |website=offshoreleaks.icij.org |access-date=21 June 2025}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{s-start|noclear=no}} {{s-gov}} {{s-bef|before=Felipe Tromp}} {{s-ttl|title=Governor of Aruba|years=1992–2004}} {{s-aft|after=Fredis Refunjol}} {{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Koolman, Olindo}} Category:Living people Category:1942 births Category:Aruban politicians Category:Governors of Aruba