Venezuela and Curaçao to reopen their maritime and air borders in April
Venezuela and Curaçao, an island of the Netherlands in the Caribbean Sea, agreed Thursday to reopen the air and maritime borders, closed since February 2019, next April 3, informed Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil.
“The Bolivarian Government welcomes the reopening of the maritime and air borders with the island of Curaçao next April 3, 2023. A decision that contributes to economic development, social interaction and the strengthening of our historical ties,” Gil wrote on the social network.
The message came after the Curaçao Council of Ministers published a communiqué in which it agreed to propose to Venezuela April 3 as the date for the reopening of the border in common.
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“During a meeting of the Council of Ministers on February 8, 2023, the Government of Curaçao took the decision to propose to Venezuela the date for the opening of the border,” the statement reads.
Result of negotiations between both countries
On February 4, senior Venezuelan officials in Curacao decided to extend until April 30 a restriction on flights to that Caribbean country, as well as to Aruba and Bonaire, after failing to reach an agreement on the reopening of borders.
According to a spokesman, the intention was to announce the first phase of the reopening, which included ships, and to hold meetings to discuss the resumption of air traffic, reported EFE.
According to the Curaçao government, the negotiations were being conducted “cordially” and “in a good atmosphere”.
However, the resumption of air traffic was a complicated matter, as representatives of the Kingdom of the Netherlands did not fully commit to the reopening.
This provoked opposition from Venezuelan officials, who then decided to put further pressure on the Dutch authorities by threatening to impose a no-fly zone between the neighboring countries for three months.
The border between Venezuela and the Netherlands islands in the Caribbean Sea have maintained restrictions since February 2019, after opposition leader Juan Guaidó tried to bring humanitarian aid stockpiled in Brazil and Colombia and the islands of Curaçao, Bonaire and Aruba into Venezuelan territory.
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