NEW YORK – Curaçao Prime Minister Gilmar Pisas participated in a high-level meeting between Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten and Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez in New York, where the parties discussed economic and energy cooperation, regional stability and the future relationship between Venezuela and the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The meeting took place Wednesday on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly and brought Curaçao directly into discussions with the Kingdom's closest South American neighbor.
Jetten meets with Rodríguez as Pisas (left) looks on.
Pisas attended as part of the Kingdom delegation. Venezuelan reports also identified Dutch Foreign Affairs Minister Tom Berendsen among the participants. On the Venezuelan side, the delegation included Foreign Minister Félix Plasencia, Economy Vice President Calixto Ortega and Hydrocarbons Minister Paula Henao.
According to the Venezuelan government, the meeting was intended to relaunch diplomatic dialogue and explore new opportunities for economic and energy cooperation. The parties also discussed regional stability in the Caribbean and the importance of maintaining communication between the two sides.
The discussions are particularly relevant for Curaçao because of the island's geographical proximity to Venezuela and its longstanding economic, commercial and energy ties with the country.
Pisas' participation also ensured that Curaçao was directly represented during talks involving issues that could have consequences for the island, particularly energy cooperation and developments affecting stability in the Caribbean.
The Dutch side, however, went beyond economic cooperation.
Following the meeting, Jetten emphasized that Venezuela is a neighboring country of the Kingdom and that developments there are important for stability in the Caribbean region. While the Netherlands wants to expand economic cooperation, the Dutch government also raised political and human rights concerns with Rodríguez.
Jetten called for the release of political prisoners, conditions allowing opposition leaders to return safely and the holding of free elections in Venezuela.
Those demands are particularly significant following Rodríguez's address to the UN General Assembly, in which she said Venezuela would hold elections and promised equal conditions for political participation. She did not, however, announce an election date or provide a timetable for the process.
The New York meeting therefore combined two elements of the Kingdom's evolving relationship with Caracas: an effort to rebuild economic and diplomatic ties while continuing to press Venezuela on democratic guarantees.
Venezuela's official account placed particular emphasis on economic and energy cooperation. Caracas said both delegations expressed interest in strengthening bilateral trade through greater openness and confidence.
No concrete agreements, investment amounts or specific energy projects were announced following the talks.
For Curaçao, the energy component could prove especially important. The island has historically played a significant role in Venezuela's petroleum industry through the refinery and associated infrastructure, while the Curaçao government has been exploring possibilities for renewed activity in the energy sector.
The meeting comes amid a broader diplomatic opening by Rodríguez during her visit to New York. She has held talks with several international leaders and institutions as Venezuela seeks to rebuild economic and political relationships after years of international isolation.
The Kingdom delegation attending this week's UN meetings includes Pisas alongside Jetten and representatives of Aruba and Sint Maarten. The Dutch government said before the General Assembly that Jetten would hold several bilateral meetings with heads of state and government during his stay in New York.
For Curaçao, Wednesday's meeting was notable not only because Venezuela was on the agenda, but because the island was represented directly at the table.
With Venezuela only about 65 kilometers from Curaçao, developments involving energy, trade, migration, maritime security and political stability can have consequences for the island considerably faster than for the European Netherlands.
The talks therefore signal renewed engagement with Caracas while leaving an important balance for the Kingdom: expanding economic cooperation with Venezuela without abandoning demands for political freedoms, credible elections and democratic guarantees.