What does the Venezuelan crisis mean for the Dutch Caribbean?
The US intervention in Venezuela and the country’s ongoing instability pose risks for the Dutch Caribbean. How serious is that threat? ‘Dutch men and women will have to defend our external borders there,’ says Professor by Special Appointment of Kingdom Relations, Wouter Veenendaal.
How great is the threat to the Dutch Caribbean?
‘The direct conflict between Venezuela and the US seems to have cooled down,’ says Veenendaal. ‘But the islands were very much in the eye of the storm. In November, tensions were already running high, partly due to the build-up of US troops in the Caribbean. You can see the islands and the Netherlands trying to adopt as neutral a stance as possible and to avoid being drawn into the conflict.’
If violence between the US and Venezuela flares up again, the consequences for the islands could be significant. ‘If the United States launches another attack, Venezuela might want to retaliate. Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao are just a few dozen kilometres off the Venezuelan coast, and there’s a US military base on Curaçao.’ He stresses that Dutch men and women may have to defend the Kingdom of the Netherlands’ external borders there. ‘Hopefully, people are more aware of that reality.’
The Venezuelan regime appears to be holding on to power, despite the arrest and prosecution of President Maduro, and the US has concluded the first oil deals with the country again. ‘Many Venezuelans had hoped that Maduro’s departure would herald better times. Now the government has remained in place and is once again doing business with the US, this could lead to unrest in Venezuela.’ There are also concerns about a new flow of refugees towards the Caribbean islands.
What should the Netherlands do to safeguard security?
Aruba, Curaçao and St Maarten are autonomous countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, while Bonaire, St Eustatius and Saba are special municipalities. ‘Defence and foreign policy are matters for the Kingdom as a whole. The Kingdom Government overlaps more or less completely with the Dutch national government. As a result, outgoing ministers Ruben Brekelmans (Defence) and David van Weel (Foreign Affairs) bear primary responsibility for responding to the crisis in Venezuela. Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire cannot pursue an independent foreign or defence policy in this context.’
According to Veenendaal, the situation highlights how poorly represented the Caribbean islands are in political decision-making at the Kingdom level. ‘Aruba and Curaçao each have a Minister Plenipotentiary in the Kingdom Government, but they have no direct representation in the Dutch House of Representatives. As a result, Arubans and Curaçaoans lack full democratic instruments to scrutinise ministers or hold them to account. This crisis with Venezuela underlines the need to address this unequal position within the Kingdom.’
Veenendaal points to Denmark as an example. ‘Denmark has granted Greenland two seats in the national parliament, and since Trump’s re-election, you can see a clear mindset shift among the Danes. The Danish Prime Minister has announced that Greenland will assume the chairship of the Arctic Council, has apologised for past mistakes and has explicitly pledged greater equality.’