RIOHACHA, WILLEMSTAD – A historic trade archive with strong ties to Curaçao has officially been transferred earlier this month in the Colombian coastal city of Riohacha to researcher Fredy González Zubiría. The archive consists of handwritten Spanish-language commercial correspondence dating from 1912 to 1920.
The official transfer took place on May 2 as part of the commemoration of 200 years of diplomatic relations between Colombia and the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Representatives of the Dutch Embassy in Colombia, the Colombian Embassy in The Hague, and delegations from Curaçao and Aruba attended the ceremony, which was held at the historic Pinedo-Deluque House in Riohacha.
The archive contains correspondence from businessman León Víctor Weeber and his wife Clara Pinedo de Weeber. The documents had been in the possession of anthropologist and researcher Ieteke Inchi Witteveen for more than thirty years. Witteveen was previously married to León Weeber.
According to those involved in the project, the letters provide a rare and valuable insight into trade networks connecting Curaçao, Riohacha, New York City, and Hamburg during the period surrounding the World War I.
The correspondence reportedly covers topics including trade flows, family ties, commercial relationships, shipping activities, and economic developments during the early twentieth century. Researchers also say the documents shed light on the role women played within the commercial world of that era.
The project now focuses on transcribing, digitizing, and analyzing the historical documents. The initiative aims to provide new insight into the shared history between Curaçao and Colombia’s La Guajira region.
Funding is still being sought for the continuation of the project. The long-term intention is for the archive to eventually be housed at the National Archives of Curaçao.