WILLEMSTAD, THE HAGUE - The Dutch government must take a stronger stance against recent U.S. military attacks on alleged drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean, warn two former Dutch diplomats, Norbert Braakhuis and Robert Schuddeboom, in an interview with the TV program Nieuwsuur.
They caution that the ongoing U.S. operations, launched under “Operation Southern Spear”, risk implicating the Kingdom of the Netherlands — and its Caribbean territories, including Curaçao, where the U.S. maintains a military presence — in morally and legally questionable actions.
“Since August, the United States has regularly attacked boats in Caribbean waters, claiming they were carrying drugs,” the report states. “Nearly eighty people have been killed in these strikes so far, and no concrete evidence has been presented that the vessels were indeed drug-trafficking ships.”
“You don’t want to be part of deadly actions”
Former ambassador Robert Schuddeboom said the Netherlands, as a nation that prides itself on defending international law, cannot remain silent.
“You don’t want to face accusations that your information has led to deadly actions,” Schuddeboom warned.
Fellow diplomat Norbert Braakhuis agreed, adding that the situation demands an immediate and principled response from The Hague.
“These are issues unfolding right now,” he said. “You cannot simply say you’ll look into it later.”
The Hague’s silence raises questions
During his recent visit to Curaçao, outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof was asked by local media about the U.S. operations. He confirmed that the Dutch cabinet has not yet taken an official position on the matter.
That silence, according to the former diplomats, is increasingly untenable — especially given the close cooperation between U.S. forces and the Kingdom through the Forward Operating Location (FOL) on Curaçao, where American military aircraft conduct surveillance missions in the region.
Growing diplomatic tension
The diplomats’ warning comes amid rising international concern over the legality of U.S. strikes in the Caribbean, which reportedly take place without public evidence or coordination with local governments.
Legal and political analysts have also pointed out that, under Kingdom defense agreements, the Netherlands could be seen as complicit if intelligence or logistical support provided through Dutch or Curaçaoan channels were used to facilitate such attacks.
A call for moral clarity
Both Braakhuis and Schuddeboom insist that the Dutch government has a moral and legal duty to demand transparency from Washington and to reaffirm its commitment to international law — especially within its own Kingdom.
As one diplomat put it:
“The Netherlands cannot claim to stand for justice and the rule of law in The Hague, while turning a blind eye to what happens in its own Caribbean backyard.”
The Curaçao Chronicle understands that local officials on the island are also seeking clarity from The Hague on the extent of the Kingdom’s involvement in U.S. military operations carried out from or near Curaçao.
