WILLEMSTAD – Prime Minister Gilmar ‘Pik’ Pisas expressed deep frustration and anger over the ongoing confusion surrounding the possible transit of Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado through Curaçao during her secret escape from Venezuela.
According to Pisas, the government has been overwhelmed with questions from the public and the media since international reports indicated that Machado left Venezuela by boat and traveled first to Curaçao before continuing on to Oslo, Norway. The prime minister said he immediately sought clarification from the U.S. Consulate in Willemstad.
But instead of answers, Pisas received what he described as an unacceptable response.
“When I asked the American Consulate what I should understand and what I should tell the people—because I am receiving more than a million questions—the only reply was: ‘Let them contact the Consulate.’ That is simply not acceptable,” Pisas told reporters.
The prime minister emphasized that if Curaçao was used as a ‘trampoline’ or transit point in a high-risk political operation to extract Machado from Venezuela, the Curaçao government had every right to be informed in advance.
This is the second time in two days that Pisas has publicly raised concerns. During a parliamentary debate on Thursday, the prime minister revealed that:
· He was not officially informed by the United States.
· The Dutch ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defence—David van Weel and Ruben Brekelmans—also said they were unaware of Machado's route through Curaçao.
· No follow-up information has been provided by either Washington or The Hague.
Pisas stressed that Curaçao is geographically close to Venezuela and part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which is a U.S. ally. This makes the island particularly sensitive to geopolitical fallout.
“With everything happening in the region—the attacks on Venezuelan drug boats, the seizures of tankers, the increasing tension—it is extremely important that Curaçao is not kept in the dark,” he said.
The prime minister has instructed his team to seek an official clarification from both the United States and the Netherlands. He said that the situation is serious and requires full transparency, especially given the heightened tensions between Venezuela and the U.S. and the potential implications for the ABC islands.
This latest controversy follows a week of escalating developments:
· The U.S. military seized a Venezuelan oil tanker operating under a false flag in the Caribbean.
· Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro accused Washington of “piracy” and vowed retaliation.
· Tens of thousands of Venezuelans continue fleeing the country amid political persecution.
· Machado resurfaced in Oslo after nearly a year in hiding, confirming she fled Venezuela secretly.
Whether Curaçao was actively involved, passively used, or entirely bypassed remains unclear.
For now, Prime Minister Pisas insists that Curaçao must not be caught off-guard again, saying “We deserve answers. Our people deserve answers.”