Curaçao Prime Minister also cancels Netherlands visit amid U.S.-Venezuela tensions

Curaçao’s Prime Minister Gilmar Pisas canceled a planned visit to the Netherlands, citing the need to remain on the island amid escalating tensions between the United States and Venezuela. The decision follows a similar move by Aruban Prime Minister Evelyn Wever-Croes.

Pisas, 54, said his presence on Curaçao is "necessary" to monitor regional developments and prepare for potential scenarios. He assured residents that there is currently no cause for alarm, stating they "can remain calm."

The ABC islands—Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao—lie just tens of kilometers from Venezuela’s coast.

The move comes as U.S. President Donald Trump has intensified pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, labeling him a leader of a "drug state."

The U.S. has recently conducted operations against at least 20 Venezuelan vessels suspected of drug trafficking, resulting in around 80 deaths, though no conclusive evidence linking the crews to drug smuggling has been presented. Last week, Trump called for Venezuela’s airspace to be considered closed and offered 50 million dollars for information leading to Maduro’s arrest.

Pisas was scheduled to speak at a conference in The Hague next week on the Caribbean components of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Following his cancellation, Minister of Transport, Communication, and Spatial Planning Annette Cooper will represent Curaçao at the event.

Sint Maarten’s Prime Minister Silveria Mercelina remains on the speaker list, and her government has not indicated plans to cancel attendance.

Dutch caretaker Minister of Foreign Affairs David van Weel said the government sees "no immediate threat to the Kingdom." He clarified that while the region is tense, there are no indications that Aruba, Bonaire, or Curaçao would be drawn into a potential armed conflict.

"At this moment there is no acute threat to the Kingdom," Van Weel told parliamentarians in response to questions from GroenLinks-PvdA. "The operations occur outside the Kingdom’s territorial waters, and there is no indication that Aruba, Bonaire, or Curaçao will be involved in any conflict."

The Netherlands has deployed more than 1,000 defense personnel in the Caribbean in recent months and is preparing to provide support if necessary. The Dutch government is also coordinating with the United Kingdom and France to respond jointly if escalation occurs.

Van Weel emphasized that the U.S. operations are conducted in international waters under American command, without Dutch involvement. "The U.S. is one of our key partners in combating drug trafficking in the Caribbean," he said.

Dutch forces work in close cooperation with the U.S. under the Joint Interagency Task Force-S (JIATF-S) treaty. Flights from Hato Airport in Curaçao are used to track drug transport but not for U.S. national operations, Van Weel noted.