ORANJESTAD - An important item on the agenda of the Kingdom Council of Foreign Affairs that is taking place today between Curaçao, Aruba, St. Maarten and the Netherlands is the formulation of a new policy with regard to illegal Venezuelans who, despite the strict controls, always try to enter the islands undocumented. This mainly concerns Curaçao and Aruba.

The Dutch Minister of Foreign Relations Stef Blok was in Aruba on Monday in connection with the Kingdom Consultation on Foreign Affairs. Blok spoke there with Prime Minister Evelyn Wever-Croes about the developments in Venezuela.

Wever-Croes emphasized that Aruba is very close to Venezuela. "We feel the impact of the situation there very much in Aruba." Both ministers called the situation in Venezuela worrying.

Aruba wants to open its borders to various Latin American countries as of December 1, but not to Venezuela. The spread of the corona virus is very large there. The country's dramatic financial situation is only making the crisis worse.

Blok and Wever-Croes have also discussed the possible introduction of a visa regime for Venezuelans who want to travel to Aruba. It will be discussed further during the Kingdom consultation on Foreign Affairs today.

In the past, the Wever-Croes cabinet has taken the initiative to implement this proposal more often, but this was always rejected by the Netherlands. With the proposal now as an item on the agenda of the Kingdom consultation, the introduction still seems to be a step closer.