WILLEMSTAD - "Curaçao decides for itself how and when it delivers humanitarian aid to Venezuela. We will not let ourselves be forced by The Hague or Washington. We will also stay away from any military action," Suzanne Camelia-Römer, the Curaçao deputy prime minister and Minister of Health and the Environment, said.

There has been a lot of turmoil on the island after it became known that the country will serve as a hub for humanitarian aid to Venezuela in cooperation with the United States. Political parties, trade unions and worried citizens are afraid that Curaçao will come under fire from President Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela.

Minister Stef Blok of Foreign Affairs announced last week that Curaçao will become a humanitarian hub. According to Camelia-Römer, this has aggravated the tension in society. "We will not allow anything to be imposed by The Hague." She hopes that in the future Blok will meet better with the government in Curaçao and will no longer speak on behalf of Curaçao.