DEN HAAG, WILLEMSTAD — Dutch Member of Parliament Christine Teunissen of the Partij voor de Dieren has raised alarm bells over the arrival of a Venezuelan oil tanker in Curaçao, arguing that the move not only raises legal questions but could also conflict with broader Dutch and European climate commitments.
In written questions submitted to David van Weel, Teunissen said the decision to handle and potentially store Venezuelan crude at Curaçao’s Bullenbaai terminal sends “the wrong signal” about how the Kingdom of the Netherlands balances economic interests with adherence to international law and environmental policy.
Her concerns go beyond geopolitics and legality. Teunissen highlighted the risk that Curaçao could become permanently positioned as a fossil fuel transit hub, a development she says would be at odds with the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement and the Netherlands’ commitments to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. She questioned how facilitating Venezuelan oil transit aligns with Dutch policy aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and accelerating the energy transition.
The tanker’s arrival in Curaçao is part of a broader international movement of Venezuelan crude aimed at maintaining global oil flows, including shipments tied to a concession agreement between Venezuela and the United States. A tanker under U.S. sanctions was reported docked in Curaçao earlier this month as part of that effort.
Teunissen also raised questions about whether the Dutch government was informed in advance and how it plans to ensure that Dutch companies do not benefit from a situation she describes as created by “illegal intervention” by the United States in Venezuela.
Her questions underscore rising tensions between short-term economic opportunities and long-term climate and legal commitments within the Kingdom — particularly as smaller territories like Curaçao seek revenue and employment in a shifting global energy landscape.
The Dutch government has yet to respond to the detailed queries, which touch on legal, environmental and diplomatic implications of facilitating Venezuelan oil storage in the Caribbean.