“I hope this decision can provide necessary relief for the community of Aruba”
(Oranjestad)—Prime Minister Evelyn Wever-Croes announces to the community of Aruba that the maritime border with Venezuela will be open starting from May 1st, 2023. The prime ministers indicated that conditions are known and that the necessary documents have already been received. This time, the conditions for opening the border is much stricter than before, and all departments involved are ready to attend with the re-opening of the maritime border.
With this, cargo ships from Venezuela may dock at the Barcadera bay following established procedures. Local authorities will have all necessary documents before the ships leave Venezuela. With these documents, the authorities will be well-informed on who will be arriving and what product they will be bringing in the island. Crewmembers are required to stay on deck and are not allowed to leave the bay premises. In the past, crewmembers were allowed to enter the land and sell their products, but this is no longer possible with the new conditions. Each ship will be assigned a local agent that will take the cargo from the ship, and this agent will make sure to sell the products. Ships and crewmembers are only allowed to stay on the island for a maximum of two days before sailing back to Venezuela.
“I hope that this decision to re-open the maritime border can help to bring necessary relief for the community of Aruba. The government will continue to discuss the processes relating to re-opening of the aerial border with Venezuela and will keep the public informed on any new developments,” the prime minister expressed.
