Dear Editor,
Can our compatriots in the Caribbean Netherlands count on enough and good support from the Netherlands and/or Europe when the Cold War threat starts to escalate?
Since 10-10-’10 the islands of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba form a kind of municipality of the Netherlands called BES. The other islands such as Aruba and Curaçao are separate countries in the kingdom.
As many know, a humanitarian disaster has been going on for years in Venezuela, the country facing the ABC islands. Until recently, this “only” meant that Venezuelan refugees went to the ABC islands. But for some time now, Venezuela has received more and more help and support from mainly Russia and, to a lesser extent, China.
Communist dictator Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela has let himself be installed as leader for a new term on Thursday. In Venezuela there is talk of extreme electoral fraud and residents who for years almost literally die of starvation or a lack of medicines. The stores in Venezuela are almost empty and the items that are for sale have become unaffordable because of the extreme hyperinflation, so only Maduro and his party mates can still pay. It is therefore no wonder that millions of Venezuelans have been fleeing.
The OAS (Organization of American States) has asked Maduro more often to resign and to adjust his policy. Secretary-General Luis Almagro even said in September 2018 that the possibility of military intervention to overthrow Maduro’s regime should not be ruled out. Their large neighbouring South American country Colombia has also requested Maduro to step down.
Meanwhile, Maduro is not going anywhere, and the region is supported by the other communist and economically backward country of Cuba. Maduro also continues to expropriate American oil sources, which has also made the US quite angry. Spain has already voiced its disapproval of Venezuela’s policies, the EU indicated that it disagrees with the re-election of Maduro and last week, Germany did not accept Maduro’s reappointment. So, the tension is high on the edge of our kingdom.
In December two Russian nuclear bombers landed in Venezuela and Maduro agreed that a Russian military base would be established on the Venezuelan island of La Orchilla, 311 km east of Curaçao. The TU-160 Black Jacks nuclear bombers have meanwhile been supplemented with even more aircraft from Russia. Maduro himself visited the Kremlin last week.
Meanwhile, the US is aloud speaking of a new Cold War in their “backyard”, just like the Cuban crisis in 1962. CNN reported extensively about it yesterday.
Meanwhile, I hold my heart and ask the question: “Suppose there is a second Bay of Pigs and the situation escalates militarily, can the inhabitants of the ABC Islands count on support from The Hague and the EU?”
Will be continued without a doubt …
Petra Meese
