WILLEMSTAD - There is surprise over the lack of a response from Prime Minister Gilmar Pisas regarding the outcome of the presidential elections in Venezuela and the widespread doubts about their fairness. The opposition attributes his silence to the friendly ties between the ruling party MFK and Maduro and his entourage. 

A spokesperson for the prime minister explained that Pisas is in Grenada for a CARICOM conference where Curaçao was officially welcomed as an associate member. The spokesperson added that the prime minister supports the response given earlier this week by Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp. 

A stay abroad – due to vacation – did not prevent Aruba's Prime Minister Evelyn Wever-Croes from expressing her concerns through various channels. “The government of Aruba believes that the democratic will must be respected. 

“We, in Aruba and in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, are concerned about the latest developments and call for full transparency in the electoral process and in handling the outcome,” Wever-Croes posted, in a statement almost identical to Veldkamp’s response. 

In Aruba and Curaçao, there are fears of a new influx of refugees from the neighboring country as the restoration of democracy seems more distant and Venezuela becomes even more isolated internationally. So far, only a few other human rights-violating regimes, such as Russia, North Korea, and Cuba, recognize President Nicolás Maduro's 're-election.' It is expected that the US, EU, and the Organization of American States will expand sanctions against Venezuela in the coming period.