THE HAGUE – The Dutch government has stated that recent shipments of Venezuelan oil through Curaçao did not violate European Union sanctions, despite concerns raised about the vessels involved.
According to the government, neither Venezuelan oil nor the ships in question are subject to EU sanctions. While some vessels appear on U.S. sanctions lists, these do not apply within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Authorities stressed that Curaçao and the Netherlands are only obligated to enforce EU sanctions frameworks. As a result, there were no legal grounds to deny entry to the vessels based solely on U.S. restrictions.
The statement highlights the legal distinction between international sanctions regimes and has become a central point in the political debate surrounding the issue.