Koenders: “Venezuela Is Not A Threat, But A Risk”

Venezuela is no threat to the former Netherlands Antilles, but it is a risk. This is according to Minister Bert Koenders of Foreign Affairs, last Thursday after the debate on the tensions in the South American country. “The economic situation is very bad, even the political tensions are great,” he said. That is why the Netherlands should consider the deteriorating situation in Venezuela and any risk to the islands of the former Netherlands Antilles. He was reacting to criticism voiced by the Dutch political parties VVD, SP, D66 and CDA. They feel that the government is naive and in their eyes barely acting on the explosive situation. But according to Koenders there are all kinds of consultations on the situation in Venezuela, with the country itself, with Cuba, the United States and the European Union. More…