The 1977 Aruba general strike (Papiamento: Augustus Scur, 'Dark August') was a week-long, general labor strike organized by local Aruban politician and activist Betico Croes and the MEP (Aruban independence party) from August 11 to August 18 on the island of Aruba.[1] The strike is generally considered part of Aruba's political struggle for autonomy and political secession from the Netherlands Antilles, ultimately being achieved in 1986 with Aruba's Status Aparte.
The general strike was organized by Betico Croes and MEP in response to Boy Rozendal of the Democratic Party of Curaçao (a long-standing opponent of Aruban autonomy) installing his coalition to lead the government of the Netherlands Antilles (despite no former being assigned to create a new cabinet beforehand) after winning the 1977 Netherlands Antilles election without consulting MEP.[2] The strike was also in response to the Netherlands Antilles government declaring the 1977 Aruban independence referendum as illegal,[3] the Aruban AVP and the PPD also having boycotted the referendum.
On August 18, Netherlands Antillean riot police arrested numerous union leaders and Aruban political figures related to the strike, ending it.[4] The 1977 Aruban general strike paved way for political dialogue between Aruba, the Netherlands and Netherlands Antilles regarding Aruba's status within the kingdom. Later leading to Aruba's political secession from the Netherlands Antilles and becoming a separate, autonomous, constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.[5]
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