Horacio Oduber Hospital director Jacco Vroegop has alleged that Dutch officials pressured Aruba during the COVID-19 pandemic by linking continued financial support to higher vaccination rates.
Claim concerns December 2021 meeting
According to a NoticiaCla report summarizing an interview published by the Dutch outlet De Andere Krant, Vroegop said the warning was delivered during an online meeting in December 2021 involving Dutch and Caribbean representatives.
Vroegop, who chaired Aruba’s Outbreak Management Team during the pandemic, characterized the alleged Dutch pandemic aid pressure as unfair while the island’s tourism economy was severely affected.
Former state secretary has not responded
The claim concerns former Dutch public-health state secretary Paul Blokhuis. NoticiaCla reported that De Andere Krant sought a response from Blokhuis and his current organization but did not receive a substantive reply.
The allegation has not been independently confirmed in the source material reviewed by ArubaNews. It is presented as Vroegop’s account, not as an established finding.
Source: NoticiaCla.
