Curaçao seeks justice cooperation with El Salvador
The proposed cooperation is intended to tackle organised crime and public-safety problems, but raises questions about human rights.
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Curaçao wants to cooperate with El Salvador in the fields of justice and public safety. The proposal concerns a statement of intent. Human rights organisations are critical of El Salvador’s approach.
According to Curaçaoan and Salvadoran sources, the cooperation is focused on exchanging expertise, strengthening police work and combating cross-border crime. It concerns a statement of intent, not a treaty that immediately introduces new powers.
According to Caribisch Netwerk, the basis for the contact was laid during a meeting between Curaçao’s Justice Minister Shalten Hato and his Salvadoran counterpart Héctor Gustavo Villatoro Funes in 2024. The parties subsequently examined the areas in which they could cooperate.
Under President Nayib Bukele, El Salvador is pursuing a hard-line security policy. The government says this is reducing gangs and violence. Human rights organisations, by contrast, have warned of mass arrests, limited legal protection and the mistreatment of prisoners.
For Curaçao, cooperation with a country outside the Kingdom is not unusual, but the choice of El Salvador is politically sensitive. The exchange of knowledge could concern organised crime, police organisation and public safety; the declaration will have to show which agreements and safeguards apply.
When implementing the cooperation, the Curaçao government will have to continue acting within its own law and the agreements within the Kingdom. The key question is therefore not only which expertise is exchanged, but also how to prevent cooperation from leading to the adoption of methods that conflict with the rule of law and human rights standards.
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One story, several perspectives
What is established
- Curaçao and El Salvador are preparing a statement of intent on justice and public safety.
- The cooperation is intended to include, among other things, the exchange of expertise and the fight against organised crime.
- Human rights organisations criticise El Salvador’s security policy.
Left
Arguments A left-wing approach will primarily demand that cooperation remain subordinate to human rights, legal assistance and oversight of the police and prisons.
Values The rule of law, protection of vulnerable groups and democratic oversight.
Consequences Strict conditions could limit the cooperation, but reduce the risk of repressive practices being adopted.
Centre
Arguments The centre sees scope for practical cooperation against organised crime, provided the agreements are transparent and remain within Curaçaoan and Kingdom law.
Values Security, institutional reliability and feasibility.
Consequences Limited and controllable cooperation could offer benefits without Curaçao abandoning its own rule-of-law standards.
Right
Arguments A right-wing approach stresses that Curaçao needs new partners as organised crime and security problems increase.
Values Public order, national autonomy and effective enforcement.
Consequences Faster exchanges of expertise could strengthen enforcement, but reputational and rule-of-law risks must be limited.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The core is based on a government source and independent reporting. The text clearly distinguishes between a statement of intent and a binding treaty, and presents criticism of human rights as criticism from organisations.
- confirmed Curaçao and El Salvador want to cooperate on justice and public safety. — Confirmed by the Curaçao government and Caribisch Netwerk. source
- confirmed The cooperation was prepared following a meeting in 2024. — Mentioned by Caribisch Netwerk. source
- confirmed Human rights organisations criticise El Salvador’s security policy. — Caribisch Netwerk refers to serious human rights criticism and an Amnesty report. source
Editor's note
The statement of intent and the proposed cooperation have been confirmed. The final text, implementation agreements and specific powers have not yet been made public.Sources
More on this in Dutch media
- Het Parool — „curaçao el salvador”
- Trouw — „curaçao el salvador”
- NRC — „curaçao el salvador”