MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Caracas to resume ties with Caribbean Dutch overseas territories gradually

Maduro is slowly ceasing to be the pariah of Latin American diplomacy

After resuming diplomatic ties with Colombia, the Venezuelan administration of President Nicolás Maduro is now advancing on its return to the international community through negotiations with The Netherlands to restore links with the European kingdom's islands of Aruba, Curaçao, and Bonaire.

Maduro also expects things will return to normal once Brazil's President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula Da Silva takes office on Jan. 1

According to a joint statement released Tuesday, Venezuela and The Netherlands have expressed their willingness for a gradual reopening of the borders closed by Maduro in February 2019 to halt the entry of humanitarian aid by sea.

After bilateral meetings, both countries agreed on working mechanisms for the reactivation of maritime and air connections, the joint document issued by the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry and the Dutch embassy in Caracas read.

Both governments have agreed to future meetings shortly to discuss “the gradual cross-border maritime trade of products” and “joint efforts to guarantee security on the border between both countries.”

In 2019, food and pharmaceuticals were ready to be shipped from Curaçao, but the vessels carrying the supplies were threatened by the Venezuelan Navy, claiming that such assistance was part of an invasion plan to overthrow Maduro's government. Venezuela also blocked the entry of some 600 tons of aid stored in Cucuta, Colombia, a country with which it also broke diplomatic relations.

Ties with Bogota were reestablished in September after leftwing President Gustavo Petro took office.