Zita Jesus-Leito

Zita Jesus-Leito in 2017

Zita Jesus-Leito (born 27 April 1957) is a Curaçaoan politician. From 2017 to 2021, she was the minister for public transportation and infrastructure. She is currently a member of the Parliament of Curaçao.

Early life

Zita Jesus-Leito was born in either 1956 or 1957.

Career

She was a member of the Parliament of the Netherlands Antilles for a few months in 2006; a commissioner for Curaçao three times between 2004 and 2010; and a member of the Parliament of Curaçao. In 2014, she was named the fifth leader of the Real Alternative Party. In 2017, she was appointed as a minister to Eugene Rhuggenaath's government.

In November 2020, after the completion of wheelchair-accessible infrastructure at Grote Knip Beach, members of the opposition party (Movement for the Future of Curaçao) called for her to resign, because the construction impeded normal access to the beach. As the minister for planning and transportation, she had advocated for and celebrated the infrastructure project; she admitted that it was an unlicensed project. Five months later, her party requested that she not return to parliament after her ministry ended, saying they wished for younger politicians to enter parliament. Jesus-Leito was 64 and denied the request.

Her other ministerial duties included working with World Meteorological Organization hurricane commissars in their meetings.

References

Bibliography

• "PAR has new leader". Curaçao Chronicle. 25 January 2014. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
• "Cabinet Rhuggenaath is now complete". Curaçao Chronicle. 3 June 2017. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
• "Opposition party demands the resignation of Minister Jesus-Leito". Curaçao Chronicle. 11 November 2020. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
• "Zita Jesus-Leito will not give up her parliamentary seat". Curaçao Chronicle. 27 April 2021. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
• "Hurricane Committee retires names Florence and Michael". World Meteorological Organization. 20 March 2019. Retrieved 19 March 2022.