Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro called on the authorities of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to coordinate with the Venezuelan authorities to prevent the maritime space from serving as a route for Colombian drug trafficking.
“The governments of Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire should be in direct coordination with the Bolivarian government of Venezuela—they should understand the strategic importance of cooperation between the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Venezuela because this is one of the Colombian drug trafficking routes to Europe,” President Maduro said.
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The Venezuelan president made these comments on Thursday, September 29, during an event at the headquarters of the Defense Ministry of Venezuela, in Fort Tiuna, Caracas, on the occasion of the 17th anniversary of the establishment of the Strategic Operational Command of the Bolivarian National Armed Force (CEOFANB). He pointed out the need for the Kingdom of the Netherlands “to put itself in a position for us to coordinate,” given that the deployment of FANB’s Operation Gran Cacique Manaure in the Paraguaná Peninsula assessed the use of the maritime corridor by Colombin drug-trafficking groups (TANCOL). He made the call to Netherlands because Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire are “overseas territories” of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and the Dutch king serves as the head of state of these three regions.
So far, Operation Gran Cacique Manaure has led to the destruction of 27 clandestine airstrips, the interception of a seven engine vessel coming from La Guajira region of Colombia, and the seizure of 2,400 kilograms of marijuana.
“Venezuela is exerting great efforts to protect the entire region, and we are going to support the operation in Adícora, Buchuaco, El Supí, Tiraya, Mata Gorda, Piedras Negras, Puerto Escondido and Cabo San Román,” the president said.
(RedRadioVE) with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/SC/AF