Dutch Official Visits to Venezuela and Colombia: November 22 and 23, 2013

lucien · #1 10-09-2013, 11:29 AM

TM King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima will pay official visits to Venezuela and Colombia immediatly after the official visit to the Dutch Caribbean islands that will take place from tuesday november 12th till thursday november 21st.

The exact dates for the official visits to our neighbouring countries in South-America will be announced shortly.

**Marengo** · #2 10-09-2013, 05:41 PM

Will this be a real official visit or just an introduction visit?

**An Ard Ri** · #3 10-09-2013, 06:07 PM

I saw this earlier regarding 'courtesy visits' to Colombia and Venezuela....

Máxima and Willem-Alexander considering visits to 'neighbouring' Venezuela and Colombia - News Summary R O Y A L B L O G. N L

lucien · #4 10-12-2013, 05:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marengo

Will this be a real official visit or just an introduction visit?

Will have more of a official visit then just a hello and a nod.We cooperate with Venezuela in tyhe fight against drug-trafficking in the Caribbean and with Colombia we have strong economic ties as we are the largest investor in that country after Spain.During Chavez relations were a bit strained...to say the least..Two days for each country...TM have to be back by the 29th.

lucien · #5 10-16-2013, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marengo

Will this be a real official visit or just an introduction visit?

Introductory visits after all,and one day each.

Friday November 22nd a one day visit to Colombia where they will be received by President Juan Manuel Santos in Bogota.

On saturday november 23rd a TM will bring a one day visit to Venezuela and will be received by President Nicolás Maduro In Caracas.

TM will be accompanied by the Dutch Foreign Office Minister Frans Timmermans and by invitation of the King and Queen the PM's of Curacao and Sint Maarten will accompany TM on their visits to Colombia and Venezuela.In line with the introductory visits here in Europe TM pay visits to the neighbouring countries in the Caribbean as well.

carlota · #6 11-11-2013, 01:24 PM

this is certainly an intense agenda for TM on visiting the 6 dutch islands and two south american countries all at once! very impressive in my opinion. i don't think they will take their little girls with them with such a tight schedule - surely they will miss them!

**Marengo** · #7 11-11-2013, 04:51 PM

Their children will need to go to school, so they will probably stay at home. Maybe their grandmother will be babysitting.

Apparently the Dutch press on their way to the caribean got stranded in Paris due to airplane trouble.

lucien · #8 11-12-2013, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marengo

Their children will need to go to school, so they will probably stay at home. Maybe their grandmother will be babysitting.

Apparently the Dutch press on their way to the caribean got stranded in Paris due to airplane trouble.

Some of the Dutch press only...A handfull of 'm,while others flew on monday from Amsterdam with relable KLM,they thought to be the wiser and flew Air F...Oh well,happens!

**Marengo** · #9 11-22-2013, 05:35 AM

According to radio 1, at least 1 member of the Venezuelan parlament complained about the visit of the king and queen to Venezuela on a day where a national protest against the regime of president Maduro is expected. Minister Timmermans of Foreign Affairs will accompany the king and queen and his department may decide to cancel the visit if the situation requires it. They pointed out that Aruba has a lot of economic interest in Venezuela, among it due to oil.

**iceflower** · #10 11-22-2013, 04:34 PM

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King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima in Bogota, Colombia, today, November 22:

** Pic 1 ** Pic 2 ** Pic 3 ** Pic 4 ** Pic 5 ** Pic 6 **

** anp gallery ** gettyimages gallery ** ppe gallery **

** elnuevoherald.com gallery: Los reyes de Holanda visitan Colombia **

** refdag.nl gallery: President Colombia ontvangt Willem-Alexander (fotoserie) ** translation **

** demotix.com gallery: Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima on visit to Colombia **

dazzling · #11 11-23-2013, 03:03 AM

Does anyone know the dates of this visit and how long it will last?

**Marengo** · #12 11-23-2013, 03:29 AM

The visit to Colombia was yesterday, on the 22nd, the visit to Venezuela will be today, the 23rd.

**iceflower** · #13 11-23-2013, 12:57 PM

.

Willem-Alexander and Máxima in Venezuela today, November 23:

They were received by President Nicolas Maduro at the Presidental Palace Miraflores in Bolivar.

** anp gallery ** gettyimages gallery **

** ad.nl gallery: Koningspaar aangekomen in Venezuela **

** globalpost.com: Dutch royals visit roiling Venezuela **

** noticias24.com: Nicolás Maduro se reúne con los Reyes de los Países Bajos: conversarán sobre energía y turismo ** translation **

Nicola

carlota · #14 11-23-2013, 01:17 PM

the president of venezuela said in his speech the governors of aruba, saint maarten and curacao attended the visit alongsite their majesties.

as a funny anecdote, you can hear the king speaking a little in spanish at the beginning of his speech saying thank you to the president of venezuela and even "feliz cumple", which is a rather informal way of congratulating someone for his birthday (cumple being a shortened version of cumpleaños, meaning birthday). he sounds very clear in his spanish, i guess he's got the best teacher in maxima!

i'm looking forward to hearing maxima speaking a bit in spanish during these visits.

carlota · #15 11-23-2013, 02:42 PM

more bits and pieces: the king and queen travelled to colombia on a plane flown by the king himself. they were there for a day, and then travelled back to aruba to stay the night, before leaving to venezuela the day after. i found it interesting that they chose to spend the night in aruba rather than in colombia. i guess it feels like home to them. :)

Reyes de Holanda inauguraron un centro de negocios en Bogot - Poltica en Colombia y el Mundo: Noticias de Poltica - ELTIEMPO.COM

Santos recibe en Bogotá a los reyes de Holanda (Fotos)

ashelen · #16 11-23-2013, 02:43 PM

I cant imagine how many people are traveling with them between security , journalists and the staff for her wardrobe, hair, make up and and suitcases! to take all this hats!!! they must have a good number of people at their service!
I thought William would had been able to give the speech in Spanish, after all this years with Maxima, to say thank you and happy birthday is not much! anyone can say that. May be to let Maxima to say some words would have been nice too!

lucien · #17 11-24-2013, 12:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ashelen

I cant imagine how many people are traveling with them between security , journalists and the staff for her wardrobe, hair, make up and and suitcases! to take all this hats!!! they must have a good number of people at their service!
I thought William would had been able to give the speech in Spanish, after all this years with Maxima, to say thank you and happy birthday is not much! anyone can say that. May be to let Maxima to say some words would have been nice too!

No Ashelen,the words used were just enough and to let Máxima talk along is not done as she is not the Reigning Monarch of a neighbouring country,Willem Alexander is.More praise in spanish wouldn't go down well at present with the population as yesterday was the big day of demonstrations against the President and his ruling by decree since a week.It was almost a surprise the visit was on at all.But,TM have done a great job in two weeks,nothing but compliments are due.

@ Carlota,yes ofcourse,Aruba is home to WA and Máxima,it is part of the Kingdom

...And in travelling back and forth as they did isn't any different from travelling for the introductory visits in the European part...

carlota · #18 11-24-2013, 05:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ashelen

I cant imagine how many people are traveling with them between security , journalists and the staff for her wardrobe, hair, make up and and suitcases! to take all this hats!!! they must have a good number of people at their service!
I thought William would had been able to give the speech in Spanish, after all this years with Maxima, to say thank you and happy birthday is not much! anyone can say that. May be to let Maxima to say some words would have been nice too!

letting maxima speak is not protocolarly correct, and i think he needs to speak in the language he feels most comfortable doing so. he's the king and everything he says will be scrutinised and needs to be correctly said - this is after all a diplomatic visit, with all the associated business and diplomatic objectives.

concerning the number of people travelling with the, yes, i bet they have a lot of assistants when travelling on such a long journey - two weeks, visiting 6 different nations. but it is be the same when other royals perform similar trips around the world.

ashelen · #19 11-24-2013, 11:40 AM

Lucien and Carlota,
you are right it is not protocol correct just I would have like it to listen her to speak Spanish! and indeed this a succesfull 10 days trip to all this places. And Maxima looks stunning!

**Marengo** · #20 11-27-2013, 12:21 PM

The queen posing with a bag, which was posted on twitter by the designer:

https://twitter.com/SilviaTcherassi/...871617/photo/1

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A clip from the welcome in Bogotá:

Dutch King And Queen Visit Colombia - YouTube

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The Orquesta Sinfónica Juvenil de Caracas played among others Libertango by Piazolla, as a tribute to the Argentinian background of the Queen:

Segunda pieza de la Orquesta Sinfo

The man seated between the Queen and president Maduro is José Antonio Abreu, founder of the famous Orquesta Sinfónica Simón Bolívar. In 2010 he received the Erasmus prize / medal from the prince of Orange.