ANP
NOS News•
The King, Queen Máxima and the Princess of Orange arrived in Aruba today. It was day four of the tour through the Caribbean part of the Kingdom for the trio.
A welcome ceremony was held on the Wilhelminaplein in the capital Oranjestad. After a conversation with Governor Alfonso Boekhoudt, a walk followed to the States, the highest administrative body on the island. There the trio met the group leaders.
The Oranjes were enthusiastically received by the Arubans:
The royal couple and Amalia receive a warm welcome in Aruba
They then walked to the Cocolishi, the home of the Council of Ministers. Lunch was served here with Aruban Prime Minister Evelyn Wever-Croes and ministers. Wever-Croes asked the king how Princess Beatrix is doing, ANP news agency reports.
“May I ask how your mother is?” asked the prime minister. “Yes, absolutely, she is fine,” said the king. who also mentioned that his mother’s birthday is tomorrow. She will then be 85 years old.
The Prime Minister also gave the Oranges a present. A figurine of a dividivi, a tree that symbolizes the Caribbean. The tree is used as a natural compass, writes ANP. The king then made the comparison with Aruba, the westernmost part of the kingdom. “The other compass”, he called the country.
The king emphasized during the visit that he and his family always feel very welcome in the country. “Aruba is always in our hearts,” he said.
Protest action group
At the end of the day there was also a protest in San Nicolas by a group that was critical of the relationship between the Netherlands and Aruba. A dozen people indicated with banners, among other things, that the Netherlands pays too little attention and money to the island.
The demonstrators gave a list of demands to State Secretary Alexandra van Huffelen of Kingdom Relations. Van Huffelen said he would give the list to the king at the request of the demonstrators.
NOS
The demonstrators are part of the Aruban Warriors action group, ANP writes. They represent an indigenous group of Indians who belong to the original inhabitants of the island. The group mainly wants financial compensation from the Dutch government for gold that the Netherlands would have stolen in the past.
What makes the trip more than just a working visit, we explain in this video:
Why Amalia’s first official work trip isn’t just a visit
