‘Get US military base out of Curaçao’

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From Dutch news agency ANP:

Curaçao politician wants US base to close down

14 November ’09, 21:42

WILLEMSTAD – The contract with the United States military ‘location’ on Curaçao which finishes in 2010, should not be prolonged. This Saturday, Curaçao politician Helmin Wiels of the opposition party Pueblo Soberano said that.

‘In this way, we will prevent that Curaçao will be dragged along into a future war between Venezuela and the USA.’ Wiels is convinced that the recently rising tensions between Colombia and Venezuela, will finally lead to a war between the USA and President Hugo Chávez‘ country.

The USA have several military bases in Colombia and recently, contracts have been concluded for more bases there. According to Wiels, the USA are aiming consciously at a war against Venezuela. He thinks that this may have ‘disastrous’ consequences for Curaçao. ‘As long as we will allow the USA to have a military base of their own on Curaçao, we will be seen as traitors in Venezuelan eyes. We are a small country, and it is better for us to have good relationships with all sides.’

The US American Forward Operation Location (FOL) is on Curaçao ever since 2000. From there, the USA flies over South America as part of the “war on drugs“. The ten-year contract for the locations on Curaçao and Aruba will finish next year. If one of the two parties will not object, it will be prolonged automatically. Wiels calls on the government of the Netherlands Antilles to be active and to close down the FOL.

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