WILLEMSTAD – Member of Parliament Giselle McWilliam (MAN-PIN) has asked Prime Minister Gilmar “Pik” Pisas (MFK) for clarification regarding Curaçao’s possible role in the escape of Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado, who fled Venezuela and traveled to Oslo, reportedly via Curaçao.
Pisas told Parliament that he learned of Machado’s escape only through media reports and was never officially informed that she had passed through Curaçao en route to Norway.
According to the prime minister, the U.S. consul on the island stated that no authorization had yet been given to release any information about the matter. Pisas described this lack of communication as problematic.
On Wednesday, Pisas discussed the issue with Dutch Foreign Minister David van Weel (VVD) and Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans (VVD). Both ministers indicated they were unaware of the situation and promised to look into it and report back. As of now, Pisas says, neither minister has followed up with additional information.
The prime minister emphasized that he will reach out to the Netherlands again, calling the situation “serious” and stressing that he should have been informed if Machado indeed transited through Curaçao.
Pisas is demanding greater transparency from both the United States and the Netherlands—especially from the latter, which is responsible for the defense and international security matters of the islands within the Kingdom.
The matter continues to raise questions about Curaçao’s role, awareness, and obligations amid growing geopolitical tensions involving Venezuela, the United States, and the broader region.
