Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has announced that the transport connection with the Dutch islands of Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire will be cut amid the campaign against smuggling.
“Beginning from today [Friday] the air and sea connection [with the islands] is suspended for 72 hours,” Maduro’s statement read as quoted by the Nacional media outlet.
The president, however, noted that the passengers of the already scheduled flights and tourists would be allowed to return to their homeland.
Maduro also ordered the government to immediately engage into negotiations to work out the mechanisms for recovery of trade with the three islands. As of now, all Venezuelan ports, from which, according to Maduro, an illegal export of goods has been taking place, are under control of the authorities.
