Air and Sea Movements in the Caribbean

Air and Sea Movements in the Caribbean

13 December 2025

It has been a heavy week. December naturally brings the year's accumulated fatigue. Still, the most significant mental blow came with the news that the Americans transported the Venezuelan opposition leader via Curaçao to Oslo. Suddenly, the island finds itself caught in the conflict between Trump and Maduro. In a sense, it could be interpreted as if Curaçao had chosen sides—and the Prime Minister made it clear that he had not been consulted.

Meanwhile, the NRC article in which I was interviewed, alongside colleagues including Wouter Veenendaal, has been published. We exchanged messages this morning. I’m not dissatisfied, but these interviews are always trickier than they appear. They are interesting—but far from easy.

A simple example illustrates this. I explicitly mentioned both air and sea movements in the Caribbean. Yet in the article, only sea movements were reported, even though my primary concern was air activity. It may seem like a minor detail—but it is not. Last night, American F-18s flew deep into Venezuelan airspace. Perhaps I’m the only one troubled by such omissions, but for me, they speak volumes.

Why emphasize air movements? Because I knew what would come next. Military presence in the region has long moved beyond maritime patrols or logistical support. The next step was inevitable: these flights would no longer be limited to international zones, but would take place over Venezuelan territory. And sure enough, after 9 p.m. on Friday, flights occurred over Venezuela—shortly after Trump stated that it “wouldn’t be long” before land targets would be struck.

Another issue I raised is who gets a platform. Last week, there was an online geopolitics panel. I would have welcomed the participation of someone from the islands who actually works on these dossiers. The same discomfort arises when reviewing the authors of The Price of Autonomy, a book reflecting on fifteen years of autonomous Curaçao. No one under fifty-five is included. Age alone is not the issue, but it would be revealing to examine the positions these authors have held over the past fifteen years—and their contributions to what, without exaggeration, can be called a disaster: Curaçao as the poorest country in the Kingdom.

My point is this: the problem of merit-based selection has, if anything, worsened over the past fifteen years. And the question remains whether this is honestly acknowledged in the book. Of the authors, only two pay any attention to the factor that has structurally undermined Curaçao. Corruption is barely discussed. What is examined in detail is political appointment power, patronage, and administrative politicization—primarily by Donald de Palm—and the need for anti-corruption frameworks—by John Jacobs. Yet even this is cautious, almost technocratic.

To put it plainly, poor appointments have left the civil service at an unprecedentedly low standard. Corruption and administrative failures have destroyed the refinery—the island’s economic pillar. These are not abstract governance issues; they are existential failures, with direct consequences for livelihoods, migration, and social cohesion.

Conclusion

What we are witnessing is not an isolated incident, but a pattern. Curaçao is increasingly caught in the crossfire of global powers, without transparent political ownership or public debate. Air and sea movements are not minor details—they are signals. They show how quickly geopolitics can erode our autonomy when decision-making, merit, and responsibility are absent. If we do not learn to identify what is going wrong—in governance, appointments, and integrity—we are left only to watch. Meanwhile, the flights will only continue to increase.

Miguel Goede

References (APA style)

NRC. (2025, 12 December). Op welke scenario’s moeten de Antillen zich voorbereiden? Het voelt weer als de Koude Oorlog. NRC. https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2025/12/12/op-welke-scenarios-moeten-de-antillen-zich-voorbereiden-het-voelt-weer-als-de-koude-oorlog-a4914999

De Palm, D. J. G. (2025). Politieke benoemingen en governance van overheidsentiteiten. De prijs van autonomie: 15 jaar Curaçao (pp. xx–xx). Willemstad: University of Curaçao Press.

Jacobs, J. (2025). Institutionele versterking, toezicht en integriteit. De prijs van autonomie: 15 jaar Curaçao (pp. xx–xx). Willemstad: University of Curaçao Press.

NOS. (2025, 15 November). Curaçao voelt druk van opgelopen spanning tussen de VS en Venezuela. NOS Nieuws. https://nos.nl/artikel/2590607-curacao-voelt-druk-van-opgelopen-spanning-tussen-de-vs-en-venezuela

Antilliaans Dagblad. (2025, 2 December). Voorbereid op scenario’s. Antilliaans Dagblad. https://antilliaansdagblad.com/nieuws-menu/32084-voorbereid-op-scenario-s