Cargo ship Midnight Stone with humanitarian aid turned back from Venezuela

WILLEMSTAD — Venezuelan authorities turned back the cargo ship Midnight Stone filled with humanitarian aid, goods and foods when it sailed from Curacao via Bonaire to Venezuela this past weekend. Another cargo ship is said to be in the port of Willemstad still awaiting sailing orders. Most likely, according to reports, this ship together with the Midnight Stone, will be offloaded in Curacao and the goods stored on the island there until further developments.

As a direct result of this Curaçao has suspended the humanitarian aid support activities for the time being. Curaçao will only send relief goods to Venezuela if they can enter that country without resistance. That is what the Curaçao government has emphasized this weekend in an announcement. The first cargo of relief supplies for the people of Venezuela arrived last week in Curaçao, with the intention of storing them there until transport to Venezuela is possible. For the time being, Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro is opposed to most humanitarian aid.