WILLEMSTAD - On behalf of a group of 289 people, some Venezuelans in Curaçao wrote a letter to outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. They ask for his help after three repatriation flights on December 21 and 22 from Curaçao to Venezuela were canceled at the last minute by President Nicolas Maduro.
They want Rutte to ensure that they can return to Venezuela before the end of the year. They also ask for financial support for those who have run into difficulties because of the situation. Among the 289 Venezuelans, there are also those who are held in the SDKK prison and are expected to be deported.
Humanitarian organizations
The group is without money and resources on Curaçao and without support from the Curaçao government. Humanitarian organizations such as Human Rights Defense Curaçao and Venex have taken care of the group.
According to the letter writers, the majority of the group of Venezuelans are people who live and work in Curaçao, but now want to return to their homeland. Many have quit their jobs and rent because of that return. They now have no money or where to stay.
Vice President
In response to the suspension of the repatriation flights, the Curaçao government has said that the covid situation in Venezuela is the reason for the Venezuelan government to cancel the flights.
But Venezuelan media say the real reason for Maduro to refuse the flights is a political conflict between Venezuela and the Netherlands. In mid-December, the vice president of the government of Nicolás Maduro, Delcy Rodríguez, wanted to travel to The Hague to meet the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan. However, The Hague would have refused permission to state airline Conviasa to land at Schiphol.
