WILLEMSTAD.- According to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands Stef Blok, the situation in Venezuela is “worrisome”. Blok last Tuesday gave a press conference with Minister-President Eugene Rhuggenaath in Curaçao. According to Blok, dozens of people have been injured as a result of street clashes between protesters, the police and the military. “We are following the Venezuelan situation with a lot of attention, among others, through the Ambassador of the Dutch Kingdom in Caracas,” Blok said “Here in Curaçao, which is very close to Venezuela, I am analyzing very well, what are the consequences of the situation in Venezuela for Curaçao”.
He explained that he had a good conversation last Tuesday in Curaçao, with Minister-President Eugene Rhuggenaath. Last month, he spoke with the Ministers-Presidents of Curaçao, Aruba and San Martín jointly and precisely in San Martín. According to Blok, all the countries mentioned are experiencing the consequences of the situation in Venezuela. All these three countries have received migrants from Venezuela.
According to Blok, these are people who have many economic problems in Venezuela and for that reason they leave the country. “Curaçao, Aruba and San Martin are relatively small communities, and the wave of migrants has enormous consequences for these countries,” according to Blok. “You can look at the consequences on the islands, for example, in the field of education and health and also in the field of crime, but this also has consequences for people who have to evaluate migrants’ requests for protection and asylum.”
