Dutch Military Chief, MPs sound alarm over ABC islands’ safety

THE HAGUE--Concerns about the safety of the ABC islands continue to grow as both senior military leadership and members of the Dutch Parliament sound the alarm over escalating United States military activity near Venezuela. Commander of the Dutch Armed Forces Onno Eichelsheim recently described the situation as “understandable” cause for worry, while MPs Don Ceder (ChristenUnie) and Heera Dijk (D66) have submitted detailed questions demanding clarity on how the Netherlands intends to protect residents of Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao.

Eichelsheim, speaking during a recording of the College Tour podcast with Twan Huys and students of Leiden University, noted that the scale of the American military buildup off Venezuela far exceeds what is usually needed for drug enforcement missions. “The Americans have built up a fighting force that is more than what you need for drug enforcement. They’re not doing that for nothing,” he said. A major U.S. aircraft carrier is stationed less than 100 kilometers from Curaçao, part of a broader deployment driven by Washington’s accusations that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro leads a drug cartel. Reuters has reported that Venezuela is preparing for a possible U.S. intervention.

The Commander warned that even routine Dutch military movements may be misinterpreted by Caracas as cooperation with the United States, raising the risk of retaliation. He laid out the worst case scenario: if the U.S. were to strike Venezuela, Caracas could view the Kingdom of the Netherlands as part of the offensive and target the Dutch Caribbean islands. Despite these concerns, he stressed Dutch readiness. “We have sufficient capabilities to keep the islands safe if things get out of hand,” he said, adding that France and the United Kingdom are regional partners with existing cooperation agreements. He confirmed that the Netherlands remains in active consultation with the United States, saying, “You can’t rule anything out, but ultimately the Kingdom is the Kingdom. We must protect it — and we will, including there.”

Against this backdrop, MPs Ceder and Dijk have issued a sweeping set of parliamentary questions to Minister of Foreign Affairs Van Weel, Minister of Defense Brekelmans and State Secretary for Kingdom Relations Van Marum. They ask how the government is responding to reports calling on the Netherlands to speak out against major U.S. military action in the Caribbean and to the announcement of Operation “Southern Spear” by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. They request confirmation of any Dutch contact with the U.S. about the attacks in the region and what message was conveyed.

They press the cabinet on whether it believes the U.S. actions violate international law and which legal regime applies. They also want an updated security analysis for the Caribbean part of the Kingdom and a clear explanation of what steps are being taken to guarantee the safety of island residents. The MPs ask for an update on how their earlier motion to strengthen defense capacity in the Caribbean has been implemented, what reinforcements have been put in place and how local administrators have responded.

Ceder and Dijk further question whether the Netherlands intends to reconsider intelligence sharing with the United States, now that the United Kingdom has halted similar cooperation regarding alleged drug smuggling in the Caribbean. They also ask whether the American military presence in the Kingdom — including aircraft operating from Curaçao or Aruba — played any concrete role in the attacks on boats, and how the government evaluates that role. Additionally, they want to know whether the Netherlands is prepared to advocate for an independent investigation into the attacks, possibly together with like minded countries or within the EU, and whether the cabinet plans to speak out publicly against the attacks.

Their final questions focus on contact with island authorities and whether the House will receive regular updates on the evolving situation. Together, the remarks from the Armed Forces Commander and the parliamentary inquiries reflect the growing urgency surrounding the ABC islands, which sit within reach of both Venezuelan forces and expanding U.S. military operations.

𝘗𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯: 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘶𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘈𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘖𝘯𝘯𝘰 𝘌𝘪𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘮 (𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳) 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘔𝘗𝘴 𝘋𝘰𝘯 𝘊𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘳 (𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘦) 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘏𝘦𝘦𝘳𝘢 𝘋𝘪𝘫𝘬 (𝘋66).

Reporting by The Curaçao Chronicle and Dutch News.

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