THE HAGUE, WILLEMSTAD - Minister of Foreign Affairs Stef Blok during a meeting with the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament on Wednesday did not want to speculate about the next step in the stance of the Dutch government regarding Venezuela and possible military threats to increase pressure on President Nicolás Maduro.
“We are pondering many scenarios. The situation can evolve in different ways. From military scenarios, which I don’t hope for, to the best outcome on the short term, elections. But for a good outcome, it is not desirable if I speculate several more steps ahead than necessary. A very complex situation could evolve,” said Blok.
He was specifically referring to the possible scenario where President of the Venezuela Parliament Juan Guaidó would be formally recognized while Maduro is still the president. “The frame of reference is to always prevent violence, to steer towards elections and to keep the communication lines open as much as possible.”
Blok said the Dutch government would not take on the sanctions of the United States. “The Netherlands has, as a member of the European Union (EU), deployed its own sanction instruments and we recently prolonged these sanctions. We decided to aim our sanction against specific persons because that tends to be more effective in reaching those in power than economic sanctions.”
He received support from the Members of Parliament (MPs) for the strategy to recognize Guaidó if Maduro does not call new elections. “This is very important for Aruba, Curaçao, and Bonaire. Can we still consult with the factual leaders in Venezuela to protect the islands against, for example, an influx of refugees?” asked MP Sven Koopmans of the liberal democratic VVD party.
MP Sjoerd Sjoerdsma of the Democratic Party D66 said the Netherlands so far has been careful, and rightfully so, to stress the importance of new elections. However, the current situation demands a new approach, he said. “Maduro has shown that he is not a democrat. If he keeps the Venezuela people from electing their leader, he will force the other countries, including the EU, to choose differently. That is unfortunate, but it is the consequence,” he said.
Sjoerdsma wanted to know what the next step of the EU would be if Maduro has not called for new elections by Sunday. He also asked about the consequences for Aruba, Curaçao, and Bonaire. “What if Maduro, who is all cornered, thinks that he needs to create a diversion? What kind of preparations are we taking for that?”
MP Martijn van Helvert of the Christian Democratic Party CDA expressed support for Guaidó. “We have always said that the solution had to come from within Venezuela. Now somebody has stepped up to the plate who is willing to take that risk. Where possible, we have to give support. As a neighboring country, we have to take a stand. Maduro will not leave during a chat and a cup of tea,” he said.
Van Helvert specifically asked about the consequences for the three Dutch Caribbean islands. “What measures have been taken, what measures will follow and what are the threats? Russian mercenaries are said to be present in large numbers and the US has put all options on the table, including military intervention. We are worried about that combination.”
MP Sadet Karabulut of the Socialist Party (SP) was critical and questioned Gauidó’s actions. “I think it is reckless and dangerous. A coup attempt can easily escalate into violence between opponents and proponents of Maduro, especially in a country with a lot of weapons. A civil war is feared. We have to do everything to prevent this scenario. Recognizing the president of parliament as the new president will not contribute to this. It throws oil on the fire,” she said.
According to Karabulut, the Dutch government could also have taken the stance of Mexico and Uruguay which want a new dialogue with Venezuela. Minister Blok replied that dialogue was always the preferable option, but that this did not seem to solve anything. “Maduro wants a dialogue, but no elections. That offers little prospect,” he said. He also did not want to speculate about military action.
Blok said during Wednesday’s debate that he could not entirely predict whether the US oil sanctions would adversely affect Aruba and Curaçao, but said this was a possibility.
This prompted MP Antje Diertens (D66) to ask her colleagues in the Second Chamber’s Permanent Committee for Kingdom Relations to request State Secretary of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Raymond Knops to shed some light on this.
Diertens said she wanted to know what possible consequences the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom, in particular, Aruba and Curaçao, would suffer from the US sanctions against the Venezuela state-owned oil company PdVSA.
