CARACAS – A proposal to establish a Holland House aimed at strengthening trade ties between Venezuela and the Dutch Caribbean was presented this week in Caracas, highlighting Curaçao’s strategic role as a natural commercial bridge between the two markets. The initiative was introduced by Juan Gotopo during a session of the Emerging Leadership Commission of Fedecámaras (Federation of Chambers and Associations of Commerce and Production of Venezuela), of which he is a member.
Gotopo, who also serves on the subcommission for exportable offerings and new business models, has specialized in trade relations between Venezuela and the Dutch Caribbean. He has been part of the Fedecámaras structure for three years, following an invitation from the business federation, and has presented multiple proposals aimed at improving economic relations between Venezuela and the islands of Curaçao, Aruba and Bonaire.
Central to his presentation was the concept of a Holland House, a public-private platform designed to promote bilateral trade, support exporters, and connect businesses with Dutch and regional partners. Gotopo stressed that the idea does not originate within Fedecámaras itself. The first Holland House was established in Colombia, where it has grown into one of the country’s largest binational chambers. Today, more than 40 Holland House organizations operate worldwide, facilitating internationalization, logistics, agribusiness, tourism and trade services.
According to data presented, Curaçao alone imports close to one billion US dollars annually, with the majority of goods coming from the United States, Europe and Panama, while imports from Venezuela have declined sharply over the past decade. Venezuelan exports to Curaçao fell from over 40 million US dollars in some years to just six million dollars by 2021, representing less than one percent of the island’s total imports. Similar trends were shown for Aruba. The presentation argued that this decline is not due to lack of demand, but to structural, logistical and diplomatic barriers.
Gotopo highlighted specific opportunities for Venezuelan producers, particularly in agribusiness. Comparative figures showed that the ABC islands import hundreds of thousands of tons of fruits and vegetables annually, while exports from Venezuela’s Falcón state cover only a fraction of that demand. He argued that with proper coordination, quality assurance and logistics, Venezuelan products could replace imports from more distant markets, reducing costs and strengthening regional food security.
As part of his recommendations, Gotopo proposed the creation of a dedicated commission focused exclusively on the Holland House project. This body would be responsible for feasibility assessments, stakeholder engagement and institutional outreach. A key step would be formal engagement with the diplomatic representation of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Venezuela, to formally express the interest of the Venezuelan private sector in establishing a Holland House with links to the Dutch Caribbean.
The presentation also outlined strengths such as geographic proximity, product quality and motivated entrepreneurs, alongside weaknesses including legal certainty, port infrastructure and strained diplomatic relations. External factors such as nearshoring trends, special economic zones and existing trade agreements were identified as opportunities, while over-compliance with sanctions and regulatory uncertainty were cited as risks.
Gotopo, who is also vice president of the Chamber of Commerce and Tourism of La Vela de Coro, emphasized that Curaçao could play a central coordinating role in this model, given its logistics infrastructure, trade experience and position within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The meeting also featured a contribution from Aldrich Hermelijn, founder of Curaçao Chronicle, who attended as a special guest. Hermelijn addressed the importance of diversifying import sources and compared products from other markets with Venezuelan goods, noting that many Venezuelan products are competitive and in short supply on the islands.
The proposal now awaits further discussion within Fedecámaras and potential follow-up with Dutch and Caribbean counterparts. If advanced, the Holland House initiative could reopen structured trade channels between Venezuela and Curaçao, Aruba and Bonaire, with potential benefits for exporters, consumers and regional economic integration.
Photo: Carlos Duran, President of the Committee, Juan Gotopo (r)