Relationship dossier
Kingdom of the Netherlands
Venezuela
Relationship assessment
Political disputes and restrictions involving the Dutch Caribbean islands have strained Netherlands–Venezuela relations.
Kingdom of the Netherlands toward Venezuela
-40The Netherlands supported Juan Guaidó as Venezuela's interim president during the 2019 political crisis and implemented European Union restrictive measures against Venezuelan officials. Dutch policy also involved humanitarian assistance efforts connected to Venezuela, including a planned aid hub in Curaçao.
Venezuela toward Kingdom of the Netherlands
-40Venezuela rejected Dutch support for Guaidó and objected to Dutch involvement in the political crisis. Its government imposed restrictions on travel and transport affecting Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire, including border closures and restrictions during periods of bilateral tension.
Overall relationship
-35The relationship is shaped by disputes over Venezuela's political crisis and Dutch policy, alongside Venezuela's use of restrictions affecting the nearby Dutch Caribbean islands. These recurring political and practical tensions define the bilateral relationship more strongly than the limited known cooperative activity.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Relations have been marked by Dutch support for Venezuela's opposition leadership during the 2019 political crisis and by disputes involving the Dutch Caribbean islands. The Netherlands joined European Union measures against Venezuelan officials, while Venezuela objected to Dutch policy and imposed restrictions affecting Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire. These confrontational episodes outweigh the limited evidence of practical cooperation.
Areas of tension
- Dutch support for Juan Guaidó during Venezuela's 2019 political crisis
- Dutch implementation of European Union restrictive measures against Venezuelan officials
- Venezuelan restrictions on travel and transport to Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire
Key developments
The Netherlands supported Juan Guaidó as Venezuela's interim president during the political crisis.
The Netherlands implemented European Union restrictive measures against Venezuelan officials.
Venezuela imposed travel and transport restrictions affecting Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire during periods of tension.
Major uncertainties
- The extent of routine bilateral cooperation outside the political disputes is unclear.
- The current scope and implementation of arrangements affecting travel and trade with the Dutch Caribbean islands are unclear.