THE HAGUE - A highly confidential decision by the Dutch government to provide shelter to Venezuelan opposition candidate Edmundo González in its embassy has come to light, revealing that the prime ministers of Aruba and Curaçao were left out of the loop due to security concerns.
Aruba's caretaker Prime Minister, Evelyn Wever-Croes, confirmed that she was only notified of González’s presence on Sunday morning, after he had already departed for Spain. According to Wever-Croes, the Dutch government explained that earlier disclosure was not possible due to the need to protect the safety of González, the embassy staff, and other personnel involved.
Special Representative Annemiek Verrijp stated that the importance of keeping the Caribbean part of the Kingdom informed had been weighed. However, the Foreign Minister ultimately decided not to involve the prime ministers of Aruba and Curaçao in the decision, prioritizing security. The Minister of Defense, however, was informed of the situation.
There are expectations that talks with the Dutch Foreign Minister, and potentially the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, will soon take place to address the handling of this sensitive matter.