The maritime and air border between Venezuela and the island of Curaçao will reopen on April 3, Foreign Minister Yván Gil reported Thursday.
Through his Twitter account, Gil explained that this measure "contributes to economic development, social interaction, and the strengthening of our historical ties."
"The Bolivarian Government welcomes the reopening of maritime and air borders with the island of Curaçao on April 3, 2023. This decision contributes to economic development, social interaction, and the strengthening of our historical ties," he wrote on the social network.
The date was decided after a meeting of the Council of Ministers, which took place this Wednesday, where the government of Curaçao proposed that day for the opening.
"The Council of Ministers will finalize the decision proposed by Venezuela on the reopening of the border by sea and air on April 3, 2023. It will be finalized in the next period after the final details and conditions of Venezuela and the reopening of the border on April 3, 2023," they said in a statement, published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
It should be remembered that the border between Venezuela and the island, which belongs to the Netherlands, had been closed since February 2019, after the far right attempted to arbitrarily smuggle alleged "humanitarian aid" into Venezuelan territory, which was being stockpiled in Brazil and Colombia, and the islands of the Netherlands (which includes Bonaire and Aruba).
This announcement was made by the Executive Vice President, Delcy Rodríguez, and the measure included the suspension of flights and the closure of the borders, given the threats of interference that the country was experiencing.
However, since last December, Venezuela and the Netherlands have held different meetings to address the situation.
On December 12, Rodríguez held a meeting with the Netherlands ambassador to the country, Robert Schuddeboom, in order to address the bilateral agenda between nations.
In that meeting, it was evaluated to reopen the border with the Caribbean islands Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire.
"We met with the ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, @rschuddeboom, to whom we conveyed greetings from President @NicolasMaduro. We discussed issues related to our bilateral relationship and the steps to follow for the reopening of the border between Venezuela and Aruba, Curaçao, and Bonaire," Rodríguez wrote on the social network.
After this meeting, Venezuela and the Netherlands They agreed to start technical talks for the gradual opening of the border.
"The opening process with the ABC islands is part of the efforts of Bolivarian Peace Diplomacy, which translates into opportunities for the economic, social, and cultural development of our country and its relationship with important territories of our Caribbean neighbors," said then-Foreign Minister Carlos Faría.
