Arequipa, Peru – with the aim of cutting a budget, the Embassy of the Netherlands in Cuba will close soon and for an indefinite time, as announced by the Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, Caspar Veldkamp.
A newspaper report Of Telagraaf He points out that the measure seeks to reduce the operating costs of the European government, affecting five embassies and two consulates around the world.
So far Veldkamp has not specified the exact date of the closure of the diplomatic headquarters in Havana. However, it was reported that the other embassies close to closing are those of spark plug, Juba, Tripoli, Yangon, and the general consulates of Antwerp and Rio de Janeiro.
Dutch authorities indicated that the measure is inserted into a 10% cutting plan in the diplomatic network of the European country, as part of a structural savings estimated at 25 million euros before the end of 2025.
“This contributes substantially to the objective of savings in the network of diplomatic positions,” said Veldkamp. “To fully meet this objective, it will be necessary to close four more positions in the next period. We will take into account the geopolitical and economic developments in that decision.”
After an inventory that lasted several months, this decision was made. In addition, cuts will be applied to other embassies and consulates to reduce staff. In this way, it is intended to implement the budget savings planned without harming Dutch interests too much.
The Netherlands government ratified that national interests will be maintained abroad, even considering the opening of new representations, such as In Syriaif the international context so demand.
The relations between Cuba and the Netherlands were formally established in 1902. The Embassy of the European country on the island in recent years has held an active position in the promotion of Cuban civil society, supporting activists, independent journalists and artistic initiatives of a contestant nature.
The Embassy of the Netherlands in Havana is located on 7th Avenue #2007, corner 22, Miramar. Matthijs Wolters, a Dutch ambassador to the island since 2024, has not issued to date any official statement on the closure of the diplomatic headquarters.
