THE HAGUE – The Dutch government has downplayed the role of Curaçao in the international trade of Venezuelan oil, stating that the island cannot be considered a major hub despite recent tanker activity.
In answers to parliamentary questions, Dutch authorities confirmed that oil from Venezuela has been stored and transshipped via facilities at Bullenbaai. However, officials stressed that this does not automatically translate into a central role in global oil flows.
According to the government, Curaçao’s involvement is limited to specific commercial transactions rather than a structural position in the international oil market. Rotterdam, meanwhile, remains a key global oil hub, but there is no concrete data indicating that it serves as the primary European gateway for Venezuelan crude.
The clarification comes amid growing political scrutiny in the Netherlands over oil shipments linked to Venezuela and their passage through Caribbean parts of the Kingdom.